In this post, we focus on how Virtual Reality (VR) simulations can cultivate compassionate, technologically proficient, and deeply empathetic nurses through SimX VR simulation training for pre- and post-licensure nurses. We will first explore the concept of “high tech, high touch” and how it can be applied to virtual patients. Then, we will provide more details on how SimX can benefit nurses and nurse educators through immersive VR-simulated patient encounters.

High Tech, High Touch

A futurist and author, John Naisbitt, first coined the phrase “high tech, high touch.” What did he mean by this? He wrote about how successful technology can potentially shape the human experience in a big way. This concept is on full display with emerging technologies such as VR simulation training for healthcare professionals around the world.

The art of nursing is often described as the compassionate, holistic care nursing professionals provide patients. To develop this “high touch” skill, nurses must be trained through experiential learning activities. Can this be accomplished through the “high tech” usage of virtual simulations? VR simulations can provide meaningful and engaging, true-to-life patient encounters that support the development of compassionate caregivers. In VR, learners are challenged to provide care to a variety of patient acuities and populations using visual, tactile, and auditory feedback to showcase competencies in empathic and compassionate nursing care.

In the evolving healthcare landscape, integrating VR simulations using platforms like SimX represents a transformative approach to nursing education. By embracing the “high tech, high touch” philosophy, VR simulations bridge the gap between advanced technological tools and the deeply human elements of nursing care.

This synergy allows nursing educators to develop essential affective competencies often limited in other simulation modalities. Key benefits of a “high tech, high touch” approach to simulation include increased engagement, improved cognitive and affective domain development, and the fostering of soft skills crucial for patient-centered care.

Immersive VR Training

SimX scenarios are designed to be true-to-life patient interactions within an immersive virtual world. Learners can communicate with virtual patients and their families seamlessly. They can receive verbal and nonverbal cues and respond in real-time without the distraction of drop-down menus. With SimX, learners can navigate each virtual patient encounter as they would in real life.

SimX’s immersive scenarios allow learners to truly see, hear, and feel the patient experience, even in virtual environments. This embodiment is essential to a “high tech, high touch” approach to simulation and ensures that learners are deeply engaged and connected to the scenario in front of them.

Many SimX users have commented on the immersive nature of SimX scenarios. Beth Culross, Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said about VR simulation training, “Our students often say the reason they really like it is because they feel like they’re really the nurse. They have no one else to rely on when they’re in the immersive environment on their own…They’re really there with that patient. The patient moves, the patient talks, it just seems more realistic versus our high-fidelity manikins.”

The immersive nature of VR training provides learners with realistic patient interactions, allowing them to experience and navigate complex scenarios that go beyond traditional classroom and manikin-based training. This hands-on, experiential learning approach is crucial for developing the soft skills essential to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care. The ability to interact with virtual patients and their families in a lifelike environment helps nurses cultivate the emotional intelligence and communication skills necessary for effective practice.

VR for Mental Health Patient Encounters

One of the greatest benefits of VR training is how it can help with mental health-related patient encounters. Treating mental health and psychiatric patients isn’t just about verbal cues but also about nonverbal cues. High-fidelity manikins simply don’t have the capability to successfully simulate those important nonverbal responses that practitioners need to be aware of, process, and create a safe space for.

Using VR, learners can safely work through how to de-escalate patients and build communication skills to keep themselves and the patient safe. With SimX virtual patient encounters, we want to get learners to a place where they can confidently understand and directly experience these vital patient interactions. Each interaction will create clinical thinking pathways that enable practitioners to respond appropriately in real-life situations.

SimX’s focus on mental health-related scenarios addresses a critical need in modern nursing education. By simulating nuanced psychiatric patient encounters, SimX prepares pre- and post-licensure nurses to handle delicate and often challenging interactions with greater confidence and empathy. The ability to practice de-escalation techniques and nonverbal communication in a risk-free setting ensures that future clinicians are well-equipped to support patients with mental health concerns compassionately and competently.

To truly take advantage of immersive and realistic psychiatric patient encounters offered through SimX, explore our marketplace of over 250 scenarios! By leveraging both SimX scenarios and other simulation instruction, you can provide nursing students and practitioners with the training, strategies, processes, and resources they need to feel confident assessing and treating psychiatric patients.

SimX for Nursing

SimX for nursing was built by nurses for nursing educators to align with your curriculum and support learning for both pre- and post-licensure nurses. Each SimX scenario presents an immersive patient encounter where learners can practice and gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to be high-functioning, high-performing nurses.

Through immersive VR scenarios, students can experience realistic patient interactions that foster empathy, communication, and decision-making. This approach allows for repeated practice in a safe, controlled environment, reducing the risk of harm to real patients while providing valuable experiential learning.

By ensuring simulation programs align with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Simulation Guidelines, educators can complement their traditional hands-on training rather than replace it and provide students with a holistic educational experience. SimX gives you the tools you need to prepare the next generation of nurses to face the challenges and complexities of modern healthcare systems. We have the largest simulation marketplace with over 250 immersive patient encounters that cover core capabilities, skillsets, and attitudes essential to practicing person-centered care.

Creating Compassionate Nurses

As we look toward the future of nursing education, immersive VR simulations will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping a new generation of clinicians who are not only technically skilled but also deeply empathetic. By incorporating SimX into nursing curricula, educators can provide students with a comprehensive learning experience that aligns with current clinical standards and the evolving needs of patients.

Creating compassionate nurses involves more than just teaching clinical skills—it requires nurturing a genuine understanding of patient experiences and emotions. At SimX, we are not only advancing the training technology but also enhancing the human touch that is so vital to the art of nursing. As we continue to innovate and integrate these tools into our educational frameworks, we move closer to a future where every nurse is equipped to deliver care that is as empathetic as it is effective.