(TNS) – An anonymous donor has provided funding for the nursing department at Southern Missouri State University to acquire the equipment needed to create a virtual reality health simulation lab.
“It will allow our students to have a safe environment to begin practicing skills and improve their learning before entering the clinical environment,” Lisa Beals, who chairs the department, said in a statement. “Students will be in a virtual environment where they will be able to experience scenarios for patients in difficulty. With VR glasses and manual controllers, they can work the stage by evaluating the patient, using the equipment, dealing with conflict management and talking to patients and families ”.
The lab will be located in the Center for Health Sciences on campus. It is expected to be ready for use in the fall semester of 2022 and will also be available for other health care programs at MSSU College of Health Sciences, Beals said.
Virtual reality technology is used in various fields, including in the airline industry and by the US military. It is also a form of technology that current students are familiar with.
“This will be another tool we have at our disposal,” Beals said. “We already have an excellent simulation center and we hope that adding the virtual simulation room will facilitate the learning of our students through a layered approach. They can learn skills through a virtual stage and then experience them in a more tactile way using mannequins in the simulation lab before going to clinics (hospitals in the area and other health organizations). “
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