Bringing realistic clinical simulations to life is no small task. Anyone who has been a part of a simulation day knows a thing or two about all the work that goes into it. So many decisions need to be made, schedules need to be aligned, and skills need to be developed – all in such a short time. With simulation-based education, learners can practice skills through a range of modalities, whether it’s working on suturing skills with a task trainer, practicing history taking with a simulated patient, or leading a patient case in virtual reality.  As technology continues to rapidly evolve ..read more

Whether in the classroom or the clinical setting, opportunities for learners to practice skills freely and in a safe environment are limited.  However, replicating real-world clinical scenarios is crucial in preparing students for practice and reinforcing knowledge and skills for clinicians.  This recreation of specific clinical situations is often referred to as ‘simulation-based education’, and has become a cornerstone of nursing education and training.  What makes for a simulation? Recently, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) updated their terminology to provide clar ..read more

Preparing for the arrival of a new baby is often a time filled with joy,  love, and anticipation as soon-to-be parents get ready both physically and mentally for a new chapter of life.  While pregnancy should be a time devoted solely to the excitement of bringing in new life, it sadly continues to be a cause for concern in healthcare with the CDC reporting a concerning rise in maternal death rate in the United States.   Rates of maternal mortality were dissected across a range of factors including age and race. For women aged 40 and older, the maternal mortality rate was ..read more

Nursing has seen a shift in recent years that has caused alarm – higher turnover rates, staff shortages, and an increased demand for healthcare professionals have impacted the remaining staff and patients.  It’s significantly financially costly for hospitals to replace lost staff, not to mention the time and resources cost of finding a suitable replacement. With reduced staff and increased workload for remaining clinicians, patient care may also be negatively impacted due to turnover.   According to the 2023 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report, the aver ..read more

Addressing the Healthcare Training Gap Oxford Medical Simulation (OMS), a pioneer in virtual reality healthcare training, is excited to announce the successful completion of a $12.6 million USD Series A funding round. The investment, led by Frog Capital with follow-on capital from ACF Investors, existing shareholders and strategic partners, marks a significant milestone in OMS’s mission to revolutionize healthcare education, training, and assessment. OMS is dedicated to training the next generation of nurses, doctors, and allied healthcare professionals. With 91% of graduating nurses feeling ..read more

Talking with a patient is one of the best ways for healthcare professionals to hone their communication skills – gathering history, explaining rationale, building rapport, or even having difficult conversations. These ‘soft skills’ are not only vital for the patient experience but are also notoriously challenging to master without practical experience and feedback. So how can clinicians-of-tomorrow practice communication skills to deliver the highest-quality, most compassionate care possible? Step into AI-powered VR simulations, where learners can practice speaking with patients in a risk-fr ..read more

In healthcare education, students often must retain a hefty amount of information, and on top of that, they must build psychomotor skills they can take with them into clinical practice.  Simulation is a well-known method to begin bridging the gap between knowledge and practice, and while it certainly has a place in healthcare curricula, it also has its limitations.  Namely, physical simulation is resource-intensive. It requires significant planning, coordination, and it requires a lot from the faculty running the simulation, as well. There’s also the matter of finding an accommodat ..read more

Healthcare professionals, like nurses, doctors, or occupational therapists, make an incredible number of decisions per day. In fact, nurses working in critical care actually make decisions almost every 30 seconds, adding up to about 960 decisions made in a single shift of work.  This inordinate amount of decision-making directly impacts patient care, so it’s vital that clinicians are not only making and acting on these decisions but also that they’re taking into account a multitude of factors given the context of the case to make the best possible decision for their patients.  In o ..read more

Building a safe space for a working environment is imperative to interdisciplinary team success in healthcare settings.  Team building exercises are often done in person, and as scheduling across multiple disciplines is difficult, it can be few and far between for everyone on the team to come together at the same time for team-focused activities.  VR can be used as a way to connect the interprofessional team from any space, providing similar benefits to that of in-person team building simulations.  OMS Interprofessional Scenarios OMS offers a suite of multidisciplinary scena ..read more

Healthcare is a fast-paced, patient-centered industry. To keep pace with advancements and increasing amounts of knowledge requires continuous learning, developing new skills, and maintaining foundational skills.  The advancement of technology has made waves in the healthcare sector, and as tech continues to improve rapidly, its uses and functions evolve, as well.  The issues facing nursing today In the United States, for nursing, in particular, there is serious concern about the rising rates of turnover. This costs employers around $52,000 on average for each turnover, and it may ..read more