Effects of Virtual Reality and Nature Sounds on Pain and Anxiety in Women Having Cesarean Section

This study was conducted to determine the effects of virtual reality application on pain and anxiety in women who gave birth by caesarean section. It was applied to women who had given birth by caesarean section at a public hospital in northern Turkey, voluntarily agreed to participate in the study, and were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. Women in the intervention group were taught how to use virtual reality goggles. After the first mobilisation, women were shown a nature landscape video through virtual reality goggles (VRG) accompanied by nature sounds for an average of 20 minutes. The aim of this application was to enable women to view nature images more effectively accompanied by nature sounds, thereby helping them to focus on the images and sounds, distract their attention, relax, and escape the tension of their surroundings. The application was carried out with the women in a semi-reclining position and without sleeping. The same application was applied to each woman, and the glasses were disinfected with Dermosept surface disinfectant, which provides cold sterilisation, before the application. No application was made to the women in the control group; only the hospital's routine care was applied. The data were collected by the researcher through face-to-face interviews based on the statements of women after caesarean section.

Inclusion Criteria: * Volunteering to participate in the study * Being over 18 years of ageBeing able to read and write in Turkish * Giving birth at term, having a single, live and healthy baby * The baby being with the mother * Having a healthy/risk-free pregnancy * Having had spinal anesthesia. Exclusion Criteria: * Having a diagnosed psychiatric disease, * Having a mental disability and communication problem, * Having a vision or hearing problem, * Developing complications during or after a cesarean section, * Having any obstacles to postpartum mobilization.