UNB launches virtual reality training to boost hands-on nursing education – New Brunswick

The University of New Brunswick is rolling out virtual reality (VR) for nursing students, with $500,000 in provincial funding to support the program over three years.

Fourteen VR stations offering immersive environments, such as a simulation suite and a medication administration suite, will be installed in Fredericton and Moncton.

“This is the next best thing to real life,” said Health Minister John Dornan. “Simulation exposes students to what they might see in the field, maybe not very often, but they will see it someday.”

Lorna Butler, UNB’s nursing dean, says the current lecture model is outdated. “Me standing here at a podium lecturing is no more. It’s a model of the past,” said Butler.

The New Brunswick Nurses Union is also backing the move. “Learning and understanding about this virtual setup will be very beneficial to our students’ learning,” said the union’s president, Paula Doucet.

In the video at the top of this story, Anna Mandin takes a closer look at the new training.

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