Virtual reality in undergraduate operating theatre nursing education: a scoping review protocol

Introduction: Virtual reality has emerged as an innovative tool in nursing education, enabling immersive and interactive learning experiences that may support the development of technical and non-technical skills. In undergraduate training, access to real surgical environments is often restricted due to safety, ethical and logistical concerns, which limits experiential learning in the operating theatre. Virtual reality may represent a valuable complement; however, current evidence is dispersed and has not yet been systematically summarized, justifying the need to map existing knowledge. Objectives: To map the published evidence on the use of virtual reality in undergraduate nursing education within the operating theatre context, identifying modalities, educational purposes, learning outcomes, and existing research gaps. Methodology: Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines, this scoping review will comprehensively map the existing evidence on the use of virtual reality (Concept) in undergraduate nursing education (Population) within the operating theatre setting (Context). Searches will be conducted in MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL Complete, SciELO and the Cochrane Library. Grey literature will also be systematically explored through multiple sources, including Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal, international dissertation and thesis repositories such as ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, and websites of relevant professional organizations and academic institutions. Study selection and data extraction will be carried out independently by two reviewers using a pre-designed tool, and the findings will be synthesized descriptively, supported using charts and tables to map key concepts, evidence types, and research gaps. Results: The review is expected to map virtual reality technologies, educational approaches, competencies targeted, and measured outcomes in undergraduate perioperative nursing education, as well as research gaps and methodological limitations. Conclusion: This protocol supports the transparent and rigorous development of a scoping review on virtual reality in undergraduate operating theatre nursing education. The expected findings may inform educational planning, guide simulation design and support future research in perioperative nursing education.