Abstract: Objective: To explore the experience of ICU patients participating in delirium prevention through Virtual Reality (VR), and provide references for the prevention of delirium in ICU. Methods: The present study was a descriptive qualitative study. A total of 16 ICU patients were recruited by purposive sampling from May to July 2024. The semi-structured interview guideline was used for interviews and content analysis were adopted for data analysis to refine the themes. Results: There were 4 themes and 11 sub-themes emerging from the data. The four themes were perception of the inner positive experiences, perception of executive effectiveness, perception of positive relationships, and perception of obstacles. Conclusion: The benefits of VR technology used in delirium prevention in ICU patients include better understanding of positive experiences and the benefits of physical function recovery. Additionally, it serves to mitigate external stressors and stimulate patients' rehabilitation beliefs.

Key words: ICU; Virtual Reality technology; delirium; prevention; qualitative study