MEDIA CONTACT:
Erin Clary
Director of Communications
Maria College
518-588-5802
eclary@mariacollege.edu
January 5, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Maria College awarded $770K to develop virtual reality nursing simulation hub
College says project will funnel more-qualified nurses into the workforce in New York
Albany, NY – Maria College was named one of 15 community development and improvement projects in New York’s 20th Congressional District to receive federal funding submitted by Congressman Paul Tonko. The funding is part of the final 2023 appropriations government funding package finalized by Congress just before Christmas. The College will receive $770,088 to support the purchase of virtual reality (VR) software, hardware, monitors and other equipment to be used for enhancing clinical nursing education.
The project, “Reimagining Nursing: Virtual Reality Simulation Hub,” will allow the College to develop VR simulation labs that will provide opportunities for students to gain immersive experiences in a three-dimensional environment where they can interact with the healthcare team, perform virtual clinical interventions, and receive immediate feedback. This additional practice will thus funnel more-qualified nurses into the currently strained healthcare workforce.
As more and more nurses enter the workforce, clinical placement rotations diminish, often with competition for limited placements, particularly with the advent of COVID-19. Thus, additional opportunities for students to practice essential skills must be created.
The Reimagining Nursing: Virtual Reality Simulation Hub addresses this need by augmenting experiential learning with VR technologies and nursing education applications to not only afford students more practice in controlled nursing simulation scenarios but also expand the types of scenarios beyond what they might encounter in a two-year nursing program clinical rotation. In addition, this program will enable students to leverage more experience from clinical hours, gain further opportunities to practice and learn from mistakes, and develop competency confidence.
The results are students who enter the workforce with greater trust in their abilities and experience so that they are less distracted by performance anxieties and can engage with patients in therapeutic communication.
Maria College President Lynn Ortale, Ph.D. thanked New York’s representatives for their advocacy in securing the funding.
“The Maria College ‘Reimagining Nursing: Virtual Reality Simulation Hub’ would not have occurred without the unwavering support of Congressman Paul Tonko and his staff, as well as the recommendation from Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gilibrand. These leaders are committed to do the hard work to ensure our community is cared for” said Dr. Ortale. “Maria College is taking the charge of alleviating the nursing shortage and as the largest producer of nurses in the area, we know that this project will mean more-qualified nurses in the workforce, allowing families and children to receive the quality health care they deserve.”
Dr. Ortale also thanked the staff at Maria College for their role in developing the proposal.
“This cutting-edge innovation at Maria College is a result of the leadership of Dr. Wendy Trevor, Senior Associate Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, and Dr. Jason Coley, Director for the Center of Academic Innovation, M-CELT,” said Dr. Ortale. “Dr. Trevor and Dr. Coley are tireless in their commitment to transforming the student experience, and the successful funding of this project is a testament to that work.”
Congressman Paul Tonko spoke about his visits to Maria and how the project will address the nursing shortage.
“Maria College’s Reimagining Nursing Virtual Reality Hub program represents a critical step forward in training the future workforce of nurses in our region and across our nation, and I’m honored to deliver federal support for this deserving project,” said Congressman Tonko. “With a national shortage of nurses impacting patients and healthcare providers, this project will use virtual reality technologies to help nursing students gain clinical experience and practice essential skills. I had the opportunity to see this innovative project firsthand last year, and I could not be more excited to see how these federal dollars will help unleash the untapped potential of our region’s dedicated students and healthcare providers.”
The College currently has multiple nursing simulation labs and a control room whereby students and instructors can adjust what’s happening to mannequins to create different scenarios. The virtual reality simulation will allow instructors to simulate additional types of situations and remedies that the traditional labs cannot.
“VR is not new but recent technological advancements have made it possible for VR environments to simulate real-life patient experiences in a risk-free environment, offer repeated practice using clinical judgment, exposing students to varied clinical problems, and is portable,” said Maria College Dean of Nursing Colleen Carmody, Ed.D., RN.
The news comes at a time where the College is experiencing significant growth. In fact, the College saw the largest incoming class in its history this past fall, with the large majority of those students enrolling in one of the four nursing programs. Maria College Vice President for Academic Affairs Anne Jung, Ph.D. says the VR hub adds to the value of the College.
“For nearly 65 years, Maria College has been known for producing well-qualified nurses that easily find placement in local healthcare settings due in part to the reputation of our academic programs delivered by highly qualified, dedicated faculty,” said Dr. Jung. “Maria is already known for our high first-time pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN®), and we expect that the VR simulation technology experience will continue to affirm Maria’s commitment to innovation in teaching and learning for all of our students. Enhancing the quality of the academic experience at Maria ultimately leads to better outcomes which benefits our community.”
Maria College is currently developing the timeline of the project implementation which will require technological installation, curriculum modifications and training for faculty. The College expects the hub to be available to students beginning with the Fall 2023 semester.
To learn more about the Reimagining Nursing: Virtual Reality Simulation Hub, please visit http://mariacollege.edu/reimagining-nursing.
To learn more about Maria College’s nursing programs, please visit http://mariacollege.edu/academics/nursing.