Nursing clinical skills training is rapidly evolving with advances in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). These technologies remove significant constraints found in traditional methods and are poised to change the future of nursing education. In this article, we discuss how these technologies not only improve nursing competencies and build important soft skills but also contribute to solving challenges and problems faced by traditional training strategies.
Realistic Simulations To Learn By Doing
Virtual reality offers nurses safe, immersive environments for practising complex clinical skills, including—but not limited to—IV catheterisations, neonatal resuscitation, and wound care management. Studies suggest that they do, with meta-analyses demonstrating medium—to significant effects (Hedges’ g = 0.61) for VR training relative to more traditional approaches (44, 45). VR allows nurses to practice procedures repeatedly, making them safer, more accurate , and more confident.
Augmented reality plays an additional role, overlaying digital instructions over tasks within the real world, enabling nurses to practice on actual medical devices like ventilators or emergency equipment. AR simulations (particularly in emergency obstetrics) have shown promising increases in self-perceived competence among student midwives in complex procedures, including cesarean preparations and neonatal resuscitation.
Repetition for Developing Technical Skills
One significant advantage of VR is that it can be practised repeatedly without the limitations and risks of training actual patients. Studies have shown that nurses repeat procedures up to 40% more when using VR than traditional mannequin-based training, improving overall muscle memory and procedural accuracy. But VR also enables nurses to make and correct mistakes in a controlled environment, promoting reflective learning and greatly enhancing procedural precision—one study showed a 25 per cent increase in accuracy after 10 hours of VR training.
AR platforms like Osso VR leverage technical skills by simulating real-world surgical environments, increasing nurses’ post-training confidence by up to 50%.
Soft Skills and Clinical Judgment Development
In addition to technical skills, VR environments uniquely promote critical soft skills required for competent patient care:
Empathy and Communication: Interactive VR scenarios allow nurses to practice sensitive interactions with patients, be it cultural competency or end-of-life care discussions, enhancing their bedside manner.
Guiding Cognitive Load: vrClinicals simulates the pressure of triaging patients in a hospital emergency room, allowing nurses to hone critical thinking and prioritisation under realistic scenarios.
Team Interaction: VR simulations promote interprofessional education, allowing nurses to effectively interact with virtual physicians and pharmacists, which is critical to managing crises.
Accessibility and Scalability
With resources for clinical training in short supply, the case for VR and AR has logistical as well as economic merit:
Remote Accessibility: Students with 3D medical imaging can participate in integrated clinical training remotely, significantly reducing reliance on the availability of labs and clinical venues.
Cost-Effectiveness: Institutions, such as Robert Morris University, have effectively used gamified VR as a cost-effective replacement for expensive mannequin simulations, achieving comparable educational results at a fraction of the cost.
Standardised Assessments: AI-driven VR platforms like SimX can provide objective measures of skill proficiency, identify areas for Improvement, and standardise and eliminate bias from evaluations.
Clinical Application of the Theory
Using anatomical visualisations directly within real-world scenarios, AR aids in the theoretical understanding of human anatomy. Tools like the Visible Body, which detailed the 3D organ models for patients, significantly improved nurses’ spatial understanding.
What is more, AR can also aid learning within context by guiding the physical task through procedural guidance. The AccuVein AR system, for example, has allowed nurses to improve procedural accuracy for IV insertions by around 30%, closing the gap between theory and clinical practice.
Challenges and Things To Look Forward To
Despite these benefits, the use of VR and AR in nursing education is not without challenges:
High Quotes for VR AR Equipment: Initial investment is high.
Educators need extensive training to incorporate these technologies into curricula.
Thus, there is Limited room for Improvement. Investigations also cite marginal differences in confidence levels between VR and traditional methods, highlighting the need for mixed instructional approaches.
Undoubtedly, by 2025, candidates will realise virtual and augmented reality as essential to their nursing education, providing them with a personalised, scalable, and immersive training experience. The institutions that adopt these new technology early will help turn out more competent, confident nurses who can thrive in a rapidly evolving health care landscape.
