Manitoba nursing students explore the realm of virtual reality
Virtual reality kits, which provide a more immersive education than some other virtual learning tools, are used by learners at the University of Manitoba College of Nursing as part of their curriculum.
Medical pupils at the University of Minnesota are currently immersed in a world of virtual reality, using VR technology for purposes beyond simple gaming.
Dr. Nicole Harder, an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba College of Nursing, said that doing things in VR enables learners to gain the kind of disclosure and acquaintance they need. These factors help them become better decision-makers when they are in actual clinical settings.
Earlier this calendar year, the institution launched two virtual reality teaching spaces at the university, which are being utilised in tandem with dummies and standardised participants in current simulation programmes.
Preparation, clinical decision-making, mental wellness situations, establishing priorities, and other tasks where pupils’ VR choice-making is crucial are mostly handled by the VR initiative’s organisers.
The introduction of VR exercises in 2022 allowed the College of Nursing programme to grow by 50 percent, enrolling 120 new pupils.
According to Sufia Turner, the College of Nursing’s main teacher for the virtual reality course, the scenarios are customised to measure up to the specific requirements of pupils. This is done in accordance with the knowledge and skill level of the individuals in the simulation.
The faculty members are focusing on an individual’s analytical abilities and challenges rather than on factors like talents or ability growth.
According to Turner, the curriculum’s settings are fairly frequent representations of what students may encounter in medical studies. She remarked that conditions like diabetes, heart attacks, dehydration, and UTIs are prominent among the usual scenarios that the institution’s students face once they join the ranks of physicians.
Virtual reality headsets, according to Manitoba Nurses Union President Darlene Jackson, are an excellent way for nursing students to experience what it feels like to serve in a crisis.
She claims that stress is plaguing staff nurses in the region, while there is a severe nursing deficit. According to her, it’s imperative that they begin hiring additional healthcare professionals to assist in filling those desperately required roles.
The value of having mentors or coaches accessible to these recently registered nurses is immense. According to Jackson, it’s important to have somebody to talk to, contemplate alongside, and exchange experiences with.
Jackson elaborated further, saying that, according to her conviction, it is crucial to have a skilled nurse available to spend time with these first-year students and work closely with them as they adjust to their new environment.
