'This is fun': UB School of Nursing using VR to simulate interactions with patients

Goal is to address nurse shortage, especially in rural and underserved communities

By: Maki Becker

BUFFALO — Students at the University at Buffalo School of Nursing are using virtual reality to get a taste of what it’s like to care for a patient.

“It can give them a very realistic experience,” said Assistant Professor Kelly Foltz-Ramos, who is the Director of Simulation and Innovation at the nursing school. “It's great because it's repeatable. It doesn't take a lot of space. It doesn't take a lot of resources, but it feels real.”

It’s also fun.

“It's almost like they're not learning, you know?” Foltz-Ramos told 7 News. “It's not like this is this is school. This is fun. We get to put on headsets.”

The goal is to address the nurse shortage — it's estimated that nearly a million registered nurses will leave the field by 2027 in the U.S. The program also aims to prepare nursing students for working with rural and under-served communities.

The school uses a VR program called UbiSim. The students put on headsets that make them feel like they’re in an exam room with a patient. The instructor watches along and can prompt interactions from the patient.

Daliana Rivera, a nursing student, said it’s a great way to prepare for caring for a real patient.

“It's such a great way to be able to think critically and adapt like we would in real life but in a safe scenario,” she said. “We're able to make mistakes and immediately after our scenario we're able to get feedback and it's great for growth. I feel like I've grown a lot during these scenarios.”

WATCH video on WKBW 7 News: https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/buffalo/this-is-fun-ub-school-of-nursing-using-vr-to-simulate-interactions-with-patients

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