Perceptions of Integrating Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation as a Teaching Methodology in a Hospital Setting

Introduction As newly licensed nurses enter the workforce with limited experience and limited clinical reasoning skills, nursing educators must employ innovative strategies to teach graduate nurses how to identify and manage clinical deterioration – skills which are vital to saving lives and improving outcomes. Fully immersive Virtual Reality (VR), (also defined as Immersive VR) is one effective educational strategy available for hospital educators to use for preparing newly licensed nurses to recognize and manage clinical deterioration. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of hospital-based nurse educators, simulation specialists, and nursing leaders with respect to integrating immersive VR to teach management of clinical deterioration to newly licensed nurses. The primary goal of this study was to assess the facilitators and barriers associated with integrating immersive VR. Methods A generic qualitative descriptive approach employing group and individual interviews was undertaken using purposive sampling of experienced hospital nursing educators, nurse simulation specialists and education department administrators. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Fifteen individual and one group interview were conducted using semi structured interviews. Participants indicated that use of immersive VR for educating newly licensed nurses could prove successful in their organizations if they had the proper resources, time to learn and develop the training modalities, create scenarios that were relevant to the learner’s needs, and financial/logistical support from the organization’s stakeholders. Conclusion Immersive VR may be an effective pedagogy for educating newly licensed nurses on managing clinical deterioration if sufficient resources are in place for its’ support