A new study by HIT Holon Institute of Technology examined how integrating virtual reality (VR) technology can improve the clinical training of nursing students in Israel, providing them with a safer, more accurate, and more immersive practice environment even before encountering real patients.
The study, led by Prof. Gila Kurtz from the Faculty of Learning Technologies at HIT, examined an interactive virtual reality system that simulates a complex medical procedure of inserting a catheter into a woman's bladder.
The simulation was developed by Minerva XR, which operates the XRH Lab at HIT, and is designed to test how immersive technologies can improve the quality of training for the future generation of nurses in Israel.
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Traditionally, nursing students practice clinical skills in simulation labs or during practical experience in hospitals and clinics. However, the number of opportunities for practice is limited and sometimes accompanied by the fear of making mistakes in real time.
The study found that the VR environment allowed students to practice repeatedly without risk to patients, while receiving immediate feedback on their performance. In addition, the technology helped boost self-confidence, improve accuracy in performing the procedure, and deepen experiential learning.
The system creates a three-dimensional, multi-sensory learning environment that simulates full presence within the clinical scene. Students can examine the procedure from different angles, track hand movements in real time, and receive immediate feedback on their accuracy. According to the researchers, the ability to repeatedly repeat complex scenarios that are difficult to simulate in reality significantly expands the clinical exposure of learners and reduces cognitive load in the learning process.
The evaluation study examined the attitudes of 60 students towards the use of virtual reality in clinical training. According to the researchers, the findings were extremely positive, both in terms of ease of use and the usefulness of the technology as a training tool for the future.
Prof. Gila Kurtz, Dean of the Faculty of Learning Technologies at HIT, said: ’The study showed that even among students with little exposure to VR in the past, virtual reality technology was accepted as effective, easy to use, and has real potential for integration into clinical nursing training programs. These findings establish virtual reality as an effective, safe, and sustainable training tool in higher education.“.
Ido Peretz, founder of Minerva XR and director of the XRH Lab at HIT, added: “We were able to show how an interactive virtual reality environment allows students to practice medical procedures in a repetitive, safe and more accurate manner, while increasing their sense of confidence and engagement in the learning process. This is proof that technology is not just a complementary tool for learning, but a platform that can change the way we train the next generation of caregivers.”
