Aya Travel Nurse Kimberly Discovers the Simplicity of VR Training

For many travel nurses, the thought of using virtual reality in healthcare training is scary. Some think the technology will be too hard to use, but Aya Healthcare wants to eliminate that fear. Through the Aya Scholars Program (the industry’s only clinical ladder program for travel nurses) and our partnership with Health Scholars, we’re working to build a future-ready nursing workforce that utilizes the latest training and education tools. Aya leverages Health Scholars’ screen-based and virtual reality simulation course content to provide advanced continuing education to our travelers.

Two Aya travel nurses recently visited the Health Scholars headquarters in Denver, Colorado, to test their Fire in the Operating Room virtual reality training application. They then gave Health Scholars feedback on their experience which the company uses to continually adjust the training and optimize the application to be the most effective, self-directed training aid.

What do travel nurses have to say about using virtual reality?

We’re glad you asked! We checked in with one of the travelers to see what she thought about the experience.

Kimberly was a bit nervous about participating. “When Aaron, my recruiter, told me about the VR experience I got really excited. I loved the idea of education through VR but had no idea how that would work…I’ve had friends tell me it was really disorienting,” she said.  “I was also worried because I can’t do normal 3D things such as movies. I have Oculomotor Nerve Palsy, meaning my eyes don’t communicate with each other.”

But after learning more about the technology, Kimberly gave it a try. “When I arrived at Health Scholars, I explained my fears and they made me feel comfortable,” she said. “The experience was amazing! The VR training module they had me go though was better than I expected. I had so much fun and even asked if I could come back and trial the next VR training they design. I think VR training could be a great tool. There is a bit of a learning curve, but I like the interactive portion compared to sitting at a computer for hours.”

Why use virtual reality in healthcare?

Training that could take weeks in classrooms and requires practice on real-life patients can be streamlined, simplified and safer with virtual reality training.

• Streamlined: The Health Scholars blended learning platform improves the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical education efforts, delivering interactive content that addresses patient safety and nurse productivity.
• Simplified: Virtual tools can easily be deployed to large populations across a hospital network, which means more clinicians are trained in less time.
• Safer: Clinicians train using virtual patients and situations, which means they can try things over and over again — until they get it right.

In addition to virtual reality and online simulated learning, clinicians who participate in the Aya Scholars Program have a defined pathway for professional development that allows them to simultaneously further their career and enjoy travel nursing.

In exchange for dedication to professional development, Aya Scholars earn priority recruitment status, available tuition reimbursement, paid professional organization membership and more.

Ready to take your nursing career to the next level? Learn more about the Aya Scholars Program today.