Soon, SWAU Nursing students will have a new way to practice their clinical skills: in the virtual world! The Southwestern Adventist University Department of Nursing has begun the development of a Virtual Reality (VR) simulation lab for Nursing students. The VR Lab will be located on the third floor of the Chan Shun Centennial Library at the heart of Southwestern’s campus, repurposing one of the vacant group study rooms. The lab will utilize three Meta VR headsets, each with a corresponding laptop, allowing students to perform simulations solo or with others. Students will be able to monitor each other and give feedback on their virtual performances.

SWAU’s implementation of this cutting-edge technology will give students a more immersive and interactive experience in nursing. VR allows students the opportunity to practice many of their skills in a variety of medical environments, creating a realistic experience that prepares them for the realities of a career in nursing. Nursing students will have to learn how to adapt to changing circumstances and work under intense conditions. VR puts them in a position to experience those conditions with (relatively) low risk and the ability to correct and adjust their strategies in the moment.   

The SWAU Nursing VR lab will be using SimX, a simulation training software designed by and for nurses. The software bundles contain many different simulation scenarios, taken from Nursing categories students may experience in a hospital setting. If a student wants to practice something in Medical-Surgical nursing, they can perform an Acute Renal Failure and Hyperkalemia sim. If they’d rather train in Pediatrics, they can experience a Compound Fracture scenario or even learn how to treat a gunshot wound! From seizure management to Sickle Cell Anemia, Nursing students will have the opportunity to practice and refine their skills in hands-on, true-to-life situations while on campus! 

This VR lab project is funded through a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to implement a Nursing Shortage Reduction Program. As the name suggests, programs are designed to aid in the enrollment of more students into the Nursing program and increase the overall number of nurses in the state of Texas.