Virtual reality in nursing

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Virtual reality is the creation of a three-dimensional, interactive environment. With this technology, users are able to move through this developed simulation, as if it is real. [1]

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Virtual reality and nursing education

Virtual reality and nursing education

Through the use of virtual reality, nursing students are given the opportunity to learn in a patient care scenario without the pressure of mistakes, unsafe consequences or placing the patient in danger. [2]

With patient safety being the cornerstone of nursing, it is important that nursing students are taught with this principle in mind. Through virtual reality, this learning environment can be created. [2]

Traditional simulation labs, as seen and discussed in this video are the teaching mode many universities and colleges currently use. However, due to a number of growing concerns and challenges this form of lab simulation is not always preferred or possible.

Shift towards virtual reality in nursing education

With many nursing skills taught in a simulation lab, it is important there is enough access to this resource. However, there is a limitation on available resources, including physical space, time and equipment. [2] Virtual reality can be the answer to ensure nursing students are still gaining the required knowledge and skills to safely practice. [2]

With a lack of available resources, organizations are looking for alternatives to support the growing number of nursing students needing exposure to basic nursing skills and knowledge. [1]

It can be very difficult to find numerous and appropriate clinical placements for students to attend allowing them to gain the required knowledge and skills to safely practice as a nurse. [3] Even when clinical placements are obtained, some of the restrictions in place, limit the students ability to practice skills and knowledge. [4] Through the use of virtual reality, educators can create a simulated clinical environment to support the students learning when required resources are not available. [3]

The following video is an excellent example of how virtual reality is able to create a clinical environment for students to learn in. An example of a clinical placement and piece of nursing education is home care services, with a lack of available resources to do so, virtual reality can still maintain the students learning.

COVID-19 and impact on nursing education

With a global pandemic leading to quarantining and locking down countries across the world, a number of changes needed to be put in place to allow educational studies to continue while keeping students safe. [5]

Educational programs turned to the use of virtual learning, online courses and remote classrooms to keep everyone safe while allowing students the opportunity to continue their education. [5] [6] The concern with this learning style is that it does not easily transfer to clinical placements, lab simulations and hands-on learning found throughout the nursing program. [5]

Sentinel U reviews how the use of virtual reality can overcome the challenges faced with COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic learning institutions were pushed to institute educational tools that allowed students to learn and function as if they were in a lab or clinical placement without leaving the safety of their space. [5]

Health Tech Magazine reports how nursing education can be managed during a pandemic through the use of virtual reality technology.

Virtual reality became a replacement for clinical placements in hospitals and simulation labs, both vital parts in a nurse's educational process. [5] [6]

Ways virtual reality can be used for nursing education

Nursing education encompasses the theory and practical skills required to safely practice as a nurse. Education comes from classroom learning through traditional textbooks. Labs for skill based learning and clinical placements where students get practical patient exposure and experience.

The following are a list of examples where virtual reality can be incorporated to elevate nursing education:

Skills and simulation learning

Currently skills-based learning required for the nursing program takes place in a lab or simulation environment. The concern with simulation learning or the use of sims is the lack of realism. [4]

Through the use of virtual reality, the simulation learning environment can be more realistic. [4] If using virtual reality to develop the simulation lab, nursing students will have the opportunity to have a more accurate depiction of the clinical setting, enhancing learning. [4]

The following Video is an example of how virtual reality can be used in a clinical lab for nursing education. The video looks to include virtual reality into the skills lab to enhance the learning that is currently taking place.

Mental health training

Much of the mental health training that is done for professionals, is completed through the use of role play. This style of learning has many benefits but has a number of limitations that may be addressed with the utilization of a virtual client trainer through the use of a virtual reality. [7]

Through the development of a virtual patient, users are able to enter the virtual reality technology and learn how to develop client-patient relationships. Through this technology, scenarios can be created and learners can work on mental health interactions in a safe and controlled environment. [7]

A study was completed between 2017 and 2018 that looked to understand the comparison in learning that takes place through the use of traditional role play verse virtual reality when completing mental health training. [7]

Virtual reality is a comparable tool that allows learners to identify mental health symptoms, develop effective relationships and respond to mental health needs. [7]

The following is a presentation titled “The Use of Immersive Virtual Reality to Enhance Mental Health Assessment Skills” which was presented at a Simulation Symposium. The presentation explores how virtual reality can be used to develop and enhance nursing students mental health skills.

Emergency training- cardiopulmonary resuscitation

With a growing need for professionals and non-professionals to be CPR trained, researchers are looking to harness the technological properties in virtual reality and combine it with standard mannequins to develop an accessible teaching program. The goal for this collaboration is to continue to teach high-quality CPR to the largest number of people despite the decrease in physical training due to limitation on group meetings. [6]

With much of CPR training done in large groups, in small classrooms there is a dwindling number of offerings, this was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when limitations on group events took place. The hope is to utilize virtual reality technology to still bring high quality CPR training to learners regardless of the physical environment. [6]

4 HELP VR is a training program designed to teach first aid through virtual reality. The company has developed software through the use of virtual reality to teach emergency training in an interactive and engaging manner.

Anatomy, physiology and classroom enhancement

Currently most anatomy and physiology courses found within the nursing program are taught through traditional classroom tools. Although this is effective there is room for improvement to enhance learning, while considered pedagogically concepts. [8]

Through the use of virtual reality, theory-based courses can become more engaging. Virtual reality can be used to create an interactive learning experience. [8]

Virtual reality can allow students to take the theory from a textbook and touch, feel and manipulate the human body to better understand its function. [8]

This video demonstrates how virtual reality can be used to teach anatomy. Through virtual reality, the learner can see, touch and manipulate bones, muscles, organs and more to better comprehend their function.

This video discusses how the use of a virtual reality can enhance the learning experience when combined with traditional classroom theory. Students can be provided theory on a medical pathophysiology and through virtual reality, the concept can be visualized, made concrete and improve learning and retention.

The overall goal for virtual reality in nursing education is to create a new environment that addresses the current concerns associated with lack of resources and realism. Through virtual reality, nursing students are able to still gain the required skills and knowledge to safely practice despite the lack of resources, equipment and lock-downs, while also enhancing traditional learning techniques.

Related Research Articles

Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms, such as writing, audio, images, animations, or video, into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to traditional mass media, such as printed material or audio recordings, which feature little to no interaction between users. Popular examples of multimedia include video podcasts, audio slideshows, and animated videos. Multimedia also contains the principles and application of effective interactive communication, such as the building blocks of software, hardware, and other technologies. The five main building blocks of multimedia are text, image, audio, video, and animation. The first building block of multimedia is the image, which dates back 15,000 to 10,000 B.C. with concrete evidence found in the Lascaux caves in France. The second building block of multimedia is writing, which was first scribed in stone or on clay tablets and was mostly about three things. Property, conquest, and religion. Writing was soon abstracted from visual images into symbols that represented the sounds we make with our mouths. Thanks to the Egyptians, writing was evolved and transferred from stone to Papyrus. A cheaper but more fragile canvas derived from strips of the papyrus root grown on the Nile River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simulation</span> Imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time

A simulation is an imitative representation of a process or system that could exist in the real world. In this broad sense, simulation can often be used interchangeably with model. Sometimes a clear distinction between the two terms is made, in which simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the simulation represents the evolution of the model over time. Another way to distinguish between the terms is to define simulation as experimentation with the help of a model. This definition includes time-independent simulations. Often, computers are used to execute the simulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laerdal</span> Multinational healthcare technology company

Laerdal is a multinational company that develops products and programs for healthcare providers, voluntary organizations, educational institutions, hospitals, and the military worldwide. Laerdal has over 2,000 employees in 26 countries. The headquarters is located in Stavanger, Norway.

M-learning, or mobile learning, is a form of distance education where learners use portable devices such as mobile phones to learn anywhere and anytime. The portability that mobile devices provide allows for learning anywhere, hence the term "mobile" in "mobile learning." M-learning devices include computers, MP3 players, mobile phones, and tablets. M-learning can be an important part of informal learning.

Nurse education consists of the theoretical and practical training provided to nurses with the purpose to prepare them for their duties as nursing care professionals. This education is provided to student nurses by experienced nurses and other medical professionals who have qualified or experienced for educational tasks, traditionally in a type of professional school known as a nursing school of college of nursing. Most countries offer nurse education courses that can be relevant to general nursing or to specialized areas including mental health nursing, pediatric nursing, and post-operative nursing. Nurse education also provides post-qualification courses in specialist subjects within nursing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical education</span> Education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner

Medical education is education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, including the initial training to become a physician and additional training thereafter.

Roleplay simulation is an experiential learning method in which either amateur or professional roleplayers improvise with learners as part of a simulated scenario. Roleplay is designed primarily to build first-person experience in a safe and supportive environment. Roleplay is widely acknowledged as a powerful technique across multiple avenues of training and education.

The term virtual patient is used to describe interactive computer simulations used in health care education to train students on clinical processes such as making diagnoses and therapeutic decisions. Virtual patients attempt to combine modern technologies and game-based learning to facilitate education, and complement real clinical training. Using virtual patients is increasing in healthcare due to increased demands on healthcare professionals, education of healthcare trainees, and providing learners with a safe practice environment. There are many formats from which a virtual patient may be chosen, but the overarching principle is that of interactivity. Virtual patients typically have mechanisms where information is parsed out in response to the learners, simulating how patients respond to different treatments. Interactivity can be created with questions, specific decision-making tasks, text composition, etc., and is non-sequential. Most systems provide quantitative and qualitative feedback. In some cases, virtual patients are not full simulations themselves, but are mainly based on paper-based cases; as they do not allow for physical examination or an in-depth medical history of an actual patient. There are certain drawbacks as crucial clinical findings may be missed due to the lack of examining patients in person.

Neuroergonomics is the application of neuroscience to ergonomics. Traditional ergonomic studies rely predominantly on psychological explanations to address human factors issues such as: work performance, operational safety, and workplace-related risks. Neuroergonomics, in contrast, addresses the biological substrates of ergonomic concerns, with an emphasis on the role of the human nervous system.

Virtual reality therapy (VRT), also known as virtual reality immersion therapy (VRIT), simulation for therapy (SFT), virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), and computerized CBT (CCBT), is the use of virtual reality technology for psychological or occupational therapy and in affecting virtual rehabilitation. Patients receiving virtual reality therapy navigate through digitally created environments and complete specially designed tasks often tailored to treat a specific ailment; and is designed to isolate the user from their surrounding sensory inputs and give the illusion of immersion inside a computer-generated, interactive virtual environment. This technology has a demonstrated clinical benefit as an adjunctive analgesic during burn wound dressing and other painful medical procedures. Technology can range from a simple PC and keyboard setup, to a modern virtual reality headset. It is widely used as an alternative form of exposure therapy, in which patients interact with harmless virtual representations of traumatic stimuli in order to reduce fear responses. It has proven to be especially effective at treating PTSD, and shows considerable promise in treating a variety of neurological and physical conditions. Virtual reality therapy has also been used to help stroke patients regain muscle control, to treat other disorders such as body dysmorphia, and to improve social skills in those diagnosed with autism.

In health care, a simulated patient (SP), also known as a standardized patient, sample patient, or patient instructor, is an individual trained to act as a real patient in order to simulate a set of symptoms or problems. Simulated patients have been successfully utilized for education, evaluation of health care professionals, as well as basic, applied, and translational medical research.

Hertfordshire Intensive Care & Emergency Simulation Centre (HICESC) is an advanced teaching facility based at the University of Hertfordshire. At its creation in 1998, it was an inter-Faculty practical laboratory hosted by the Department of Electronic, Communication and Electrical Engineering (ECEE) for access by medical engineering students and jointly established by the Department of Nursing and Paramedic Sciences, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences for use by their students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nursing</span> Health care profession

Nursing is a profession within the healthcare sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses can be differentiated from other healthcare providers by their approach to patient care, training, and scope of practice. Nurses practice in many specialties with differing levels of prescription authority. Nurses comprise the largest component of most healthcare environments; but there is evidence of international shortages of qualified nurses. Nurses collaborate with other healthcare providers such as physicians, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, and psychologists. There is a distinction between nurses and nurse practitioners; in the U.S., the latter are nurses with a graduate degree in advanced practice nursing, and are permitted to prescribe medications unlike the former. They practice independently in a variety of settings in more than half of the United States. Since the postwar period, nurse education has undergone a process of diversification towards advanced and specialized credentials, and many of the traditional regulations and provider roles are changing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical simulation</span> Medical training and evaluation technique

Medical simulation, or more broadly, healthcare simulation, is a branch of simulation related to education and training in medical fields of various industries. Simulations can be held in the classroom, in situational environments, or in spaces built specifically for simulation practice. It can involve simulated human patients, educational documents with detailed simulated animations, casualty assessment in homeland security and military situations, emergency response, and support for virtual health functions with holographic simulation. In the past, its main purpose was to train medical professionals to reduce errors during surgery, prescription, crisis interventions, and general practice. Combined with methods in debriefing, it is now also used to train students in anatomy, physiology, and communication during their schooling.

An instructional simulation, also called an educational simulation, is a simulation of some type of reality but which also includes instructional elements that help a learner explore, navigate or obtain more information about that system or environment that cannot generally be acquired from mere experimentation. Instructional simulations are typically goal oriented and focus learners on specific facts, concepts, or applications of the system or environment. Today, most universities make lifelong learning possible by offering a virtual learning environment (VLE). Not only can users access learning at different times in their lives, but they can also immerse themselves in learning without physically moving to a learning facility, or interact face to face with an instructor in real time. Such VLEs vary widely in interactivity and scope. For example, there are virtual classes, virtual labs, virtual programs, virtual library, virtual training, etc. Researchers have classified VLE in 4 types:

Second Life is used as a platform for education by many institutions, such as colleges, universities, libraries and government entities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MSR – The Israel Center for Medical Simulation</span>

MSR – The Israel Center for Medical Simulation is Israel's national institute for simulation-based medical education (SBME) and patient safety training. It is located at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in the Tel HaShomer neighborhood of Ramat Gan, in the Tel Aviv District. MSR is internationally recognized as leader in patient safety simulation-based training.

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer application which allows users to experience immersive, three dimensional visual and audio simulations. According to Pinho (2004), virtual reality is characterized by immersion in the 3D world, interaction with virtual objects, and involvement in exploring the virtual environment. The feasibility of the virtual reality in education has been debated due to several obstacles such as affordability of VR software and hardware. The psychological effects of virtual reality are also a negative consideration. However, recent technological progress has made VR more viable and promise new learning models and styles for students. These facets of virtual reality have found applications within the primary education sphere in enhancing student learning, increasing engagement, and creating new opportunities for addressing learning preferences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual reality applications</span> Overview of the various applications that make use of virtual reality

There are many applications of virtual reality. Applications have been developed in a variety of domains, such as education, architectural and urban design, digital marketing and activism, engineering and robotics, entertainment, virtual communities, fine arts, healthcare and clinical therapies, heritage and archaeology, occupational safety, social science and psychology.

Immersive learning is a learning method which students being immersed into a virtual dialogue, the feeling of presence is used as an evidence of getting immersed. The virtual dialogue can be created by two ways, the usage of virtual technics, and the narrative like reading a book. The motivations of using virtual reality (VR) for teaching contain: learning efficiency, time problems, physical inaccessibility, limits due to a dangerous situation and ethical problems.

References

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