If you’re in healthcare, you likely know the value of patient simulation training. Valued for its ability to provide realistic, hands-on learning experiences without posing any risk to real patients, simulation has developed a reputation as an essential training tool.

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) technology has made significant strides in various industries – and healthcare training is no exception. Many hospitals are now utilizing virtual reality simulation training to help prepare their clinicians to provide safe, effective patient care. 

In this article, we discuss the benefits of using VR simulation training and explore 3 ways that it can help hospitals tackle the challenges they are facing today. 

Virtual reality simulation training uses headsets to immerse learners in highly realistic patient care settings where they can care for patients the same way they would in real life. Some of the reasons that hospitals are increasingly looking to this training method include:  

Now that you’ve read a quick overview of what makes virtual reality simulation training valuable as a training method, let’s explore 3 specific areas that it can support your hospital.

VR simulation training can play a key role in empowering your staff with the skills they need to transition to practice effectively.

Research estimates that only 14% of new graduate nurses demonstrate entry-level readiness for nursing residency.² Training using VR nursing simulation scenarios has been shown to significantly improve nurses’ self-assessed competence when used as part of a nursing residency program curriculum.³

The first days of residency are challenging for new resident interns as well. “When they first start, they’re really passive, they’re not good at communicating, they’re very reticent to take on the leadership role, and their level of confidence is low,” explains Andrew Wackett, MD, and Director of the Clinical Simulation Center at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.⁴

“Improving patient safety is a team sport.”¹⁰ When providers work effectively as a team, they can make a positive impact on patient outcomes, reduce medical errors, and increase patient satisfaction.¹¹

In a virtual reality simulation training platform like SimX, multiple participants can log in to the same scenario from anywhere. Then, they can work on treating the patient together as a team in the virtual environment just like they would in real life. These training opportunities can help them to develop a shared mental model, or “common language” – a key factor in effective teamwork.¹²

Research suggests that VR simulation can be just as effective for team training as traditional simulation. In one study, 120 medical and nursing students were assigned to participate in team training using either VR or traditional simulation. The study found no significant difference in their communication performance outcomes between the VR simulation and the traditional simulation groups: both groups showed significant increases in their interprofessional attitudes.¹³

If your hospital is like most others, you’re facing major struggles with nurse turnover. This ongoing crisis has likely made your nursing recruitment and retention strategies a top priority.

Expanding your professional development program is one strategy that’s worth focusing your efforts on.

Nurses want to grow in their careers and advance their skills.¹⁶ In fact, they report wanting to spend more than double the amount of time on growth and development activities.¹⁷ They cite the desire to provide high-quality patient care as the primary motivation for pursuing professional development.¹⁸

VR simulation can be a flexible and cost-effective option to help you increase opportunities for your nurses to refine essential patient care skills – without requiring significant increases in equipment, space, educators, and time away from patients.

When considering your nursing recruitment strategies, remember that professional development is important not just to your current nurses – but also to the potential new hires that you’re trying to attract. This means that boosting development opportunities using virtual reality simulation training may make your organization even more appealing to potential new hires.