Nurses provide hands-on patient care. Now, UNCG nursing students are preparing for their real-world responsibilities in a surprising place – virtual reality (VR).
In Fall 2023, Lindsay Draper ’16 MSN/MBA, ’19 DNP launched a program that uses VR to prepare students for their careers. This was her first large initiative as the director of faculty credentialing, compliance, and special initiatives in the School of Nursing.
“We really ramped up our efforts in Spring 2024,” she says. The department plans to use VR for multiple purposes in both classroom and clinical settings.
Why VR? “There are benefits,” says Draper, including removing geographical barriers. That means students could practice their skills with other campus units, clinical sites, or community partners more easily.
VR scenarios can promote active learning. “Students can do virtual reality prior to class, they can go through a scenario in a small group format in class, and they can use it in the large group format with the instructor.”
Draper reports that students are telling her VR simulations build their confidence. “It really allows our students to practice without fear of making mistakes because it allows them to learn on a simulated patient,” she explains.
VR allows training scenarios that can be more challenging than traditional simulations, which are often limited to one “patient.” “Students are used to having one or two patients, but in a VR simulation they can have five or six lives in their hands. That’s something we really haven’t been able to do before.”
In short? “It really enhances learning,” says Draper. “Endless possibilities!”
by Mercer Bufter ’11 MA
Photography by Sean Norona ’13