Nursing students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will be getting cutting-edge virtual training thanks to a new “Innovation Station” that has been installed in the Pat Walker School of Nursing.
In her remarks during a dedication ceremony, UA Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale called the new space a “next-generation virtual reality lab that will revolutionize how our students learn, practice and prepare for real-world healthcare.”
“Today’s nurses must be more than compassionate caregivers,” Drale said. “They must be clinically sharp, technologically proficient and ready to adapt in a fast-paced, ever-changing healthcare environment.”
The lab’s virtual offerings include VR headsets and other simulation equipment that will allow students to hone their skills at any time, for situations ranging from cardiac arrests to childbirth and even suicide prevention.
University provost Ann Bain said the new setup will mean students won’t have to solely rely on clinical placements at hospitals and care centers to experience medical situations firsthand. Plus, students can now choose what type of situations to practice, instead of relying on random happenings at a hospital.
“Simulation-based education is really a hallmark, because we can make sure students don’t get just random experiences,” Bain said. “We can set them upon a path; they can make mistakes; they run through high-impact learning scenarios.”
Arkansas, especially the rural areas, has been experiencing a nursing shortage, one that kicked into high gear following the COVID outbreak.
“This is high-impact teaching and learning,” said Joanna Hall, director of simulation for the School of Nursing. “It’s helping students to not only be confident and capable, but also clinically sound nurses who are going to improve patient outcomes right here in Arkansas.”
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