The need and use of emerging technologies such as immersive virtual reality simulation in nursing education is growing. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for adopting simulation technologies that supplement and complement valuable, but at times, restricted hands-on clinical experiences. The question is, how can we as nursing educators secure support and funding for these engaging and effective technological advances? Prior to making decisions and requests for new technology, it is vitally important to understand the benefits of immersive virtual reality simulation, help develop buy-in with key stakeholders such as administrators, educators, and students, and to keep abreast of available funding for technology in nurse education programs.
The evidence shows that virtual reality is an effective approach in building vital skills such as critical thinking, communication with patients, knowledge acquisition, and recognition of high stakes clinical situations. In addition, a recent study shows training with immersive virtual reality was superior to classroom and e-learning training in learner confidence, focus, speed of learning and emotional connection to the content at hand . With the highly anticipated Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) plan, the focus on clinical judgment is of the utmost importance, and the trajectory of nursing education should include modalities that will build this important skill. Findings from a recent study note that technologies such as virtual simulation improve clinical judgment skills. The National Council for State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) suggests that educators can start to prepare students for the NGN by using modalities such as simulation to help develop clinical judgment.
Securing buy-in from key stakeholders is vital when making requests for new technologies. Stakeholders in nursing education include administrators, nursing faculty, and students. College and university administrators will be interested in the return on investment (ROI) to quantify value when making an investment in technology. When considering ROI, administrators will want to know the costs and benefits of the investment. Costs include technology purchases, operations, and faculty education and support. Benefits can be quantitative, such as a reduction in errors, and a faster time to demonstrate competence, or qualitative such as improved patient safety, student engagement and satisfaction as well as building interest from prospective students. It would also be helpful to demonstrate to administrators how new simulation technology can be used alongside the programs’ existing manikins and task trainers to augment the students’ learning experience.Faculty are interested in technology that enhances students’ clinical judgment and uses their resources judiciously. Some virtual reality simulation platforms offer a peer-to-peer learning model, which keeps multiple learners engaged as active participants. A peer-to-peer learning model can also accommodate more students than traditional simulation activities, thus using less faculty resources. Having ideas of how to incorporate new technologies into the curriculum and ideas of how faculty will be trained on the new technologies is another important talking point for faculty buy-in. Students are another key stakeholder to gain support from. Having virtual reality technology in the nursing program is enticing to prospective and current nursing students who are well-versed in the use of virtual reality and have a preference for immersive learning. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, one survey found that 65% of nursing programs were already using virtual simulation with nearly half expected to use virtual reality in the next 5 years to provide immersive, realistic learning experiences for nursing students.
Nursing students participate in an immersive virtual reality scenario
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Even with understanding the benefits of new technologies and buy-in from stakeholders, the costs of purchasing these technologies and equipment can be costly. Some nursing programs include new technologies in their annual budget, and if not, there are resources such as grants, available to fund new technology. Writing grants can be overwhelming, especially for new faculty. Collaborating with the grant writing office at your institution, or with a faculty mentor who is experienced in grant writing can be helpful. It is important to follow the guidelines in the grant instructions, and to clearly and succinctly explain how the awarded funds will specifically be used. Reach out to your virtual reality simulation vendor if you need help with sourcing evidence-based references to support your grant-writing process.
Here are some examples of grants you can explore when looking for ways to fund technology in your program:Government Grants
[post_readmore]Other Support for Healthcare Education
Virtual patients display a variety of symptoms and conditions in immersive virtual reality
Additional Avenues for FundingIn addition to grant opportunities, faculty may have access to additional avenues for funding new technologies. Within your community, there may be opportunities to create innovative partnerships with other programs, schools, hospitals, or clinical agencies to share equipment and resources. Within your reach, there may be local donors, philanthropists, and/or alumni who have a vested interest in your organization, and a desire to make an impact in the local community by supporting the integration of technology in nursing education.ConclusionAs we move forward to educate the next generation of nurses, we have shifted from teacher-centered classrooms to robust, immersive learner-centered experiences. Innovative simulation technology is vital to helping learners develop critical thinking and clinical judgment. Bringing these innovative technologies to your learners can be best achieved by understanding the numerous benefits, gaining stakeholder buy-in, and exploring resources through different avenues and collaborations.
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