A new nursing training facility in India is setting the standard for the use of virtual reality (VR) technology. The Virtual Reality Health Lab was established in partnership with Kusum Dhirajlal (KD) Hospital by MediSim VR, a healthcare VR company. This institute, housed in a 300-bed multispecialty hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, provides VR simulators that are intended to create realistic settings for practicing medical operations and improving clinical skills.
In an interview, MediSim VR's business development head, Riddhi Baid, revealed that the training lab has an extensive, carefully selected module library of fundamental skills that is approved by the American Medical Council, the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom, and the Medical Council of India. "We cover essential skills required for all healthcare providers, including basic patient care skills such as assessing vital signs, proper wound care techniques, insertion of catheters, IV cannulas, and many more."
The VR training center, which opened in June, serves as a Center of Excellence dedicated to raising the bar for nursing education in order to close skill gaps, improve efficiency, and match research and training to industry demands. In its capacity as a CoE, it conducts research, organizes conferences and expert sessions, facilitates global events, offers training programs, and enhances skills. It also provides Gujarati nursing colleges with access to VR training.
In addition to improving our students' educational experience, we [do] provide healthcare professionals in Gujarat with a training center by incorporating this cutting-edge simulation training technology into our curriculum. Executive director of KD Hospital Dr. Anuja Desai stated in a formal media release that "the MediSim VR Lab, as a [CoE], will play a significant role in upskilling nursing students."
The collaboration between MediSim VR and KD Hospital to integrate VR technology into the KD Institute of Nursing's training program was initiated in January. As per the Indian Nursing Council, the country has over 3.3 million registered nurses, which translates to 1.96 nurses per thousand individuals. This number is less than the three nurses per thousand population that the World Health Organization recommends. In addition to this scarcity, nurses urgently need to expand their training and skill sets, particularly in rural areas where resources are limited.
According to Baid, by improving training quality and standardizing training across institutions, including VR in nursing education can assist solve this growing problem. "Moreover, by reducing the dependency on traditional clinical placements, VR can alleviate resource constraints and accommodate larger cohorts of students." In addition to nursing, learners in other medical specialties like surgery and emergency medicine can also gain from virtual reality. According to Bair, VR has the potential to be useful in patient education as well, assisting patients in understanding their diseases, available treatments, and surgical procedures.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)
