Skip to content

Using virtual reality to introduce newly hired nurses

Pdf

PDF Icon

European Statement

Education and Research

Author(s)

Stine Hygum Sørensen, Henrik Nielsen, Ulla Kloster, Anne Grethe Nørgaard Kyndi, Maja Vad Mortensen, Dorthe Ludvigsen

Why was it done?

The concept of medicine at Gødstrup Hospital is based on Patient involvement in the medicine process. Consequently, the patients bring their own medicine, which is stored in the patient’s room, and additional medicine is supplied in original packages. Medicine dispensing is performed in the patient’s room to allow patient participation. The medicine rooms at the hospital are quite small, because the majority of the medicine is with the patient, but it also makes medicine rooms unsuited for on-site training of new nurses.

What was done?

Virtual Reality (VR) technology was applied for introduction of newly hired nurses to medicine rooms at the hospital.

Newly hired nurses are given a four hour introduction to the concept of medicine at Gødstrup Hospital, Denmark. The introduction is given by an interdisciplinary team of a clinical pharmacist, a pharmacologist and an experienced nurse. The introduction is given in collaboration with the Centre for Research and Education (NIDO) once a month. This ensures that newly hired nurses are given the same, relevant introduction when needed.

Introduction to medicine rooms is part of the training for nurses in introductory positons. Using VR newly hired nurses are given a different and exciting introduction to medicine rooms.

How was it done?

In collaboration with the simulation unit at NIDO we made a VR-video to enable up to 20 new nurses to see the same introduction at the same time. Hospital Pharmacy staff is featured in the VR recording and guides viewers to specific parts of the medicine room, explaining important topics such as waste disposal, hygiene and anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) groups.

What has been achieved?

The participants are positive and give the following feedback to the VR segment of the introduction: “It was significantly easier to deal with as a newbie”. “It was very visual as being there in reality”. “There was time to learn in a calm environment”, “It worked fine as a lesson” and “It is a good change from backboard teaching.”

What next?

The monthly introductions continues and further collaboration with NIDO will result in lessons with topics such as pharmaceutical formulations and drug calculations. Perhaps VR will be included in this too.

×

EAHP Forum

All the EAHP team is working on providing a Forum that can help connect all the members in Conversations and Groups to talk about important matters for the European Hospital Pharmacist.

The Forum will be accessible for all the EAHP members, you don’t have to create a new account to browse and participate.

Conversations and groups

The Conversations will be moderated by our team to provide documents and relevant topics for the community.

The Groups will connect all members that share a category. Members who work on the same assocation, on the same hospital, that have the same role, etc.

Stay tuned for the realase of the forum. Soon on EAHP.