Use of virtual reality growing in nurses' training in the US
The use of virtual reality (VR) and other new technology in educating nurses in the US is increasing, according to a study by health tech firm Wolters Kluwer and the National League for Nursing's Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology. The survey found 65% of nursing education programmes use virtual simulation to train students, and 75% use online and distance learning. The use of full VR is predicted to grow from 10% to 45% over the next five years, while the use of mobile apps will jump from 41% to 59%.

Research

Nursing Ed Using More Virtual Simulation, Other New Tech

A recent survey of thought leaders in the nursing field revealed that nursing education programs are accelerating adoption of virtual simulation and other cutting-edge technologies.

The study, conducted by Wolters Kluwer Health and the National League for Nursing Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology, found that 65 percent of nursing education programs currently use virtual simulation to train students, 84 percent use instructional video for skill development and 75 percent employ online/distance learning. Rounding out the technology landscape:

Adaptive quizzing and testing (used by 64 percent of nursing programs);

Electronic health record applications (60 percent);

Integrated digital curriculum (49 percent);

Mobile apps (41 percent);

Social media (37 percent);

Facetime/videoconferencing (35 percent); and

E-portfolios of student work (31 percent).

The survey also identified technologies where adoption is expected to increase significantly in the near future. Use of virtual reality will jump from 10 percent to 45 percent over the next five years; mobile apps will go from 41 percent to 59 percent; and data analytics tools and predictive analytics will go from 14 percent to 34 percent, the researchers predicted.

The top three reasons for all that change, according to the study:

Changes in technology being used in practice; Nursing schools are adapting to meet the way incoming students learn; and Reduction in the number of available clinical sites.

"This survey confirms the important role nurse educators play in advancing the use of technology in the classroom through their willingness to act as early adopters and trailblazers," commented Julie Stegman, vice president and publisher, Nursing Education, Wolters Kluwer Health Learning, Research & Practice, in a statement. "By seeking out innovative technologies like adaptive quizzing and virtual simulation, nurse educators are helping to overcome resource challenges and pave the way for their peers in other areas of higher education to also benefit from these advances."

For more information on the survey, visit the Wolters Kluwer Health site.