Michener has entered a new realm of simulation education with virtual reality at its core.
This past November, Michener officially launched a partnership with Lumeto, a Toronto-based leader in virtual reality solutions, to explore artificial intelligence technology for clinical placement training.
Working with the Respiratory Therapy program as a pilot, Michener’s goal is to use virtual reality to prepare students ahead of their clinical placements so they can build their skills and confidence in a controlled, safe space.
Respiratory Therapy is ideal for the pilot since critical care is difficult to simulate and there are fewer clinical placements due to staff shortages in the profession. Virtual Reality helps remove these barriers by giving students an immersive experience before their placement begins, reducing student onboarding time and alleviating some of the clinical staff workload.
“This is the first time Michener has done a virtual reality simulation on this scale,” says Kate Savelberg, Senior Manager of Michener’s Centre for the Enrichment of Teaching and Learning. “With the Lumeto technology, we can customize the content to match what we’re doing in class and labs. The technology works with our course content, and we can develop it as we go.”
With the Lumeto virtual reality headset and hand controllers, Respiratory Therapy students monitor simulated vital signs, check glucose levels, connect IV lines and work with crash carts and ventilators. Students also practice their dexterity and communication skills, allowing them to focus on patients as soon as they start their real-world placement.
“Virtual reality won’t replace clinical, but it definitely helps students practice soft skills and follow basic processes to work out the kinks before their placement,” says Kate. “The virtual reality environment also means students can re-attempt a procedure if they need to — something they can’t do as easily in person.”
The Respiratory Therapy students completed their virtual reality onboarding in January; the next step is to use the technology during the summer semester. Jody Saarvala is one of the Respiratory Therapy professors leading the session with her students this July.
“The instructor-lead [virtual reality] scenarios will progress in severity and acuity as the students complete their simulations,” says Jody. “Students will draw from their knowledge gained over the past two years in the program as they enter more urgent scenarios in the virtual space.”
The virtual reality pilot is a step forward for Michener’s simulation education and how we approach our clinical placements. There’s a need for creativity and to make placements more manageable for clinical staff and partners.
“I think a hybrid model could work well in the future where we use both traditional simulation and virtual reality,” says Kate. “We’re working towards getting students ready to go for clinical, and it’s exciting to see their reaction to the technology.”