The government is providing financial support to help the University of New Brunswick (UNB) create an extended reality education model for nursing students.
The faculty of nursing will incorporate the advanced virtual reality and simulation technology into its curriculum beginning this September.
"This innovative enhancement will replicate real-world clinical experiences that students will face as registered nurses," said Health Minister John Dornan. "Health care is evolving, and so is the way we meet the educational needs of our future nurses. This project will allow for powerful immersive learning experiences to meet students' learning needs and ensure New Brunswick continues to recruit and retain high-quality, qualified nurses for our workforce."
The department is providing $500,000 over three years to support the infrastructure, equipment and setup of the extended reality education model.
This type of learning enhances student experiences by creating interactive educational content that aligns with the nursing curriculum. It can closely represent clinical settings, enabling students to acquire and refine their skills in a safe environment before applying them to real-life experiences.
Students will gain clinical experience in environments that include a simulation suite, a medication administration suite and 14 virtual reality stations at UNB's Fredericton and Moncton campuses.
The project will be designed to meet the best practice standards of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.
The faculty of nursing will collaborate with its partners, including the Horizon Health Network and Shannex, to ensure the model aligns with emerging trends and technologies in nursing practice.
"UNB's faculties are in the business of finding innovative ways to integrate new technologies in the classroom to elevate the experience and education of our students," said Paul Mazerolle, the university's president and vice-chancellor. "Having a devoted space with the technology to give students clinical experience before they go into clinical placements will be beneficial to our students, patients and the health-care system as a whole. I am grateful for the support and investment from the Department of Health for this important project."
