Virtual reality is revolutionizing how nursing students prepare for real-life healthcare scenarios. The Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) program, a joint venture between Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Regina, is significantly expanding its use of virtual reality (VR) to enhance nursing education and better equip future healthcare professionals.
Safe Learning Environment
According to Loreli Palandri, Sask Polytech's Simulation Centre manager, virtual reality offers a unique opportunity for students to learn in a very safe environment. It provides them with numerous experiences and fosters real-time critical thinking skills. The technology is positive, engaging, and interactive.
Immersive Learning
Integrating VR into nursing education offers an immersive, interactive way for learners to build not only technical skills but also critical thinking and clinical judgment. It exposes students to situations they may not encounter during clinical placements, helping them build confidence, reduce anxiety, and feel more prepared for practice.
Olami Akinfiresoye, a second-year SCBScN student at the Regina campus, shared her experience: "It took out some of the anxiety that you would experience during a clinical setting. It opens up a lot of space to make mistakes before we get out there and do the real thing."
From Pilot to Full Program Rollout
A pilot VR program was launched in January 2025 with a small group of nursing students. After extensive feedback, the VR pilot program expanded that fall. Palandri noted that the response has been great from both faculty and students. The institution is now looking to fully launch the VR program across the entire SCBScN curriculum for the fall of 2026.
Palandri highlighted that the tech-savvy demographic entering the nursing program adapts quickly. They respond positively to technological advances, pick up the technology quickly, and fully immerse themselves immediately into that learning environment. This drives the institution to stay as cutting edge as possible to meet learners where they are.
Students in the four-year program learn through a combination of classroom instruction, clinical practice, and state-of-the-art lab simulations.
Innovative Applications
The program's simulation centres are among the most advanced healthcare learning environments in Saskatchewan. While lab simulations use physical equipment and high-fidelity mannequins to mimic clinical scenarios, VR offers immersive, three-dimensional experiences accessed through headsets and handsets.
