Virtual Simulation Technology a Step Forward in Preparing More Nursing Students for Real World Practice

Virtual Reality (VR) and online simulation software is enhancing the training of student nurses at the University of Lincoln, UK.

The University’s School of Health and Social Care is one of the first institutions to introduce the simulation software in an assessment environment.

This year, BSc Adult Nursing students logged onto the platform, provided by Oxford Medical Simulation (OMS), at any time within a four-hour window on the exam day to complete the skills assessment in the comfort of their own home.

The OMS software simulates scenarios with virtual characters expressing symptoms relating to conditions taught in their modules. The student nurses must make decisions and treat the patients using the functions on their laptop or computer.

This flexibility has also granted students the freedom to complete the exam at the most accessible time for them, working around any employment or childcare responsibilities they may have.

One of the greatest benefits the students identified from using the OMS software is the ability to practice procedures at home as many times as they wished before the day of the exam. They receive the same amount of face-to-face teaching as previous students, but with the added ability to now repeat tasks at home by logging into the software on their own devices and gaining personalised feedback on each task.

Ellie Mytton, second year Adult Nursing student, said: “You get a range of patients with different ages, conditions, ethnicities, genders and this really helped get a variety and become used to experiencing this before practice. It’s a different way to be assessed. I find academic writing hard as I’m dyslexic, so doing something online that’s interactive and using practical skills really allowed me to learn.”

Michael Rowe, Associate Professor in Digital Innovation at the University of Lincoln, led the introduction of OMS software into teaching and assessments at Lincoln and said: “Integrating virtual simulation software into our health and social care curriculum represents an important step forward in preparing our students for real-world practice.

“This technology allows students to gain hands-on experience in a safe, controlled environment, enhancing their clinical decision-making skills and confidence before they enter actual healthcare settings.

“We’re excited about the potential of expanding our use of immersive technologies, including virtual reality, to create even more realistic and engaging learning experiences for our students, and see this as one of our first tentative steps in that direction.”

Francesca Ollier, a second year Adult Nursing student, expressed how the use of new technology was further fortifying her education and commented: “I believe the future will heavily include more technology within healthcare, so adding these tools within our nursing programme in our early years of training can only be seen as a positive approach in preparing us for our future careers.”