VR in healthcare, for the moments you can’t practise on patients
Virtual reality in healthcare covers therapy, planning and training. We do one of those: clinical training, where a simulated patient reacts to every decision.
How VR is used in healthcare
Three broad uses. It helps to know which one a vendor is talking about.
Education and training What we do
Rehearsing emergencies, assessment and teamwork. This is what we build.
Patient therapy
Distraction during painful procedures, rehabilitation and exposure therapy. A separate field with its own evidence and regulation. We do not make therapy products.
Planning and visualisation
Surgical planning, anatomy and patient education. Not something we offer.
Why VR for clinical training
- Rare emergencies can be practised until the sequence is automatic.
- The patient responds: oxygen raises saturation, a missed sign makes things worse.
- Every action is timed and scored against the guideline, then debriefed.
- Teams train together with roles, on standalone headsets, without booking the sim lab.
What it does not do: judge compression depth, or replace the hands-on assessment your course requires.
Clinical scenarios
Full libraryACLS cardiac arrest (VF)
AvailableHospital ward
STEMI
AvailableHospital ward
Acute asthma
AvailableHospital ward
SVT
AvailableHospital ward
Sepsis
AvailableHospital ward
Pregnancy cardiac arrest
AvailableHospital
Newborn resuscitation in a birth suite
AvailableBirth suite
Workplace collapse with AED
AvailableWorkplace
Aged care (Cert III Individual Support)
ComingResidential aged care
First aid in everyday settings
ComingHome, work and public places
Manual handling
ComingStore room and aged care
De-escalation and responsive behaviours
ComingWaiting room and aged care
IV cannulation and injections
ComingClinical
Handover (ISBAR)
ComingClinical
Who it is for
- Nursing education
Students practise recognising deterioration and acting on it, before and between placements.
- Hospitals and health services
ALS refreshers, deterioration and maternity emergencies on the ward, offline.
- Aged care and disability
Everyday care and emergencies for support workers. Scenarios are coming.
Reading on simulation in healthcare
- VR in Nursing Education: What the Latest Survey Shows
A Wolters Kluwer and NLN survey found VR use in nursing schools nearly doubled from 15% to 29%, with 53% planning to use it within 2 to 3 years. What that means for your program.
- Virtual Clinicals: What Counts and Where VR Fits
What virtual clinicals and virtual simulation in nursing mean, what the NCSBN National Simulation Study found about replacing clinical hours, and how to plan VR into the mix.
- The Clinical Judgment Model, Explained for Simulation
The NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model in plain English: the six cognitive skills, and how a simulated patient lets students practise each one.
- Debriefing in Simulation: What Good Looks Like
Debriefing in healthcare simulation, what the INACSL standard asks for, and how a scored, timed debrief in VR supports the facilitator rather than replacing them.
- Postpartum Haemorrhage Simulation: Planning a Scenario That Teaches
Why postpartum haemorrhage (postpartum hemorrhage) is a priority for simulation, what a good PPH scenario practises, and where VR fits beside obstetric drills.
- High Acuity: What Acuity Means in Healthcare
Acuity meaning in medical and nursing terms, what makes a patient high acuity, why it drives staffing and priorities, and how to practise high-acuity care safely.
VR in healthcare questions
How is VR used in healthcare?
Mainly in three ways: education and training, patient therapy (such as pain distraction and rehabilitation), and planning or visualisation. We focus on education and training only.
Does VR training work for nurses?
Research on simulation in nursing education is broad. The NCSBN National Simulation Study found that high-quality simulation could replace up to half of traditional clinical hours with comparable outcomes. It studied simulation in general, not VR specifically. See our article on VR in nursing education for VR studies.
Is it a medical device?
No. Our scenarios are for training. They do not diagnose or treat anyone.
Which guidelines does the scoring follow?
ANZCOR with the Australia pack and AHA with the USA pack. The debrief explains each scored step.
Can it replace our sim lab?
No. It extends it. VR is strong for decisions, timing and teamwork, and it is easy to repeat. Manikins remain better for hands-on technique.
More on the technology
- XR training explained
VR, AR and mixed reality in plain words, and which to use for what.
- VR training
Room-scale, interactive simulation on standalone headsets.
- Mixed reality training
Passthrough on Meta Quest 3: the scenario in your own room.
- AR training
In the real room on HoloLens 2 and Meta Quest 3, plus phone web AR built to order.
See it in a headset
Book a 30-minute demo. We will run a scenario live, talk through your training units and scope a pilot that fits your team.
