Elsevier launches its Simulation Learning System with VR for nursing student education

In Virtual Reality News

February 16, 2021 – Elsevier, a global research publishing and information analytics company, has today announced the launch of its Simulation Learning System (SLS) for Registered Nurses (RN) with Virtual Reality (SLS with VR), a new digital solution that combines virtual reality technology from SimX with Elsevier’s healthcare content to bring realistic VR simulations to nursing schools.

Elsevier has partnered with SimX, a developer of advanced VR simulation training for healthcare professionals, to offer nursing schools the ability to facilitate clinical simulations as they would in a traditional simulation lab. SLS with VR offers a solution for nursing schools experiencing limitations with in-person labs and clinical rotations due to COVID-19 restrictions that are looking for other alternatives to avoid disrupting learning continuity for students. Elsevier provides the content, learning tools and digital solutions that help prepare students for careers in medicine, nursing and health professions.

Brent Gordon, Managing Director and General Manager, Nursing and Health Education, Elsevier said: “Nursing schools are facing unprecedented challenges in delivering high quality clinical experiences necessary for training practice-ready nurses. SLS with VR transports students to a virtual world where they are fully immersed in a dynamic clinical environment and surrounded by all the tools and resources available in a typical healthcare setting. This cutting-edge technology is an effective, affordable, and scalable solution for nursing schools in providing simulated clinical experiences that develop clinical judgment skills and improve learning outcomes.”

Nursing students can advance their skills through a variety of unique, evidence-based scenarios. Each scenario challenges the user to make decisions in real-time that have direct patient implications and mirror the fast-paced, ever-changing environment that nurses work in today.

Tushanna Habalar RN, MSN, Nursing Faculty, School of Nursing and Health Science at Pennsylvania College of Technology, said: “We have seen a measurable benefit in using this VR learning solution with our students. It presents opportunities to apply their clinical judgment skills and develop vital communication skills as they work with virtual patients, their families, and other members of the healthcare team in a safe setting. Developing clinical judgment skills is an imperative outcome of nursing programs and valued skill among all health care institutions.”

The SimX platform within SLS with VR has been designed to allow for a multiplayer experience in the same play space. Institutions and faculty members can choose from 100 VR scenarios in various disciplines in order to offer a range of unique cases that immerse students in front line care.

• Disciplines include: Health Assessment, Fundamentals, Medical-Surgical, Maternity, Pediatric, Psychiatric, Community and Leadership. 
• Scenarios include: Postoperative Respiratory Distress, Fall and Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment, Colostomy and Hyperkalemia Secondary to Medication Error, Scheduled Cesarean Delivery, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Home Health.

Today’s announcement marks a continued expansion of Elsevier’s digital education and simulation product portfolio to address evolving needs in healthcare. In December 2020 Elsevier announced its acquisition of Shadow Health, a provider of digital health simulations for nursing students, enhancing its offerings for healthcare practitioners during a time of continued growth in telehealth. The company also introduced Transition to Practice in the US, an immersive online learning platform that supports new nurses to build skills and confidence as they transition from academia to professional clinical practice.

For more information on Elsevier and its immersive healthcare training solutions, please visit the company’s website.

Image / video credit: Elsevier

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.