Using Second Life to enhance ACCEL an online accelerated nursing BSN program.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Virtual Reality in Healthcare
• Distance Learning Technologies

Background:

• University College of Nursing established a virtual presence in Second Life (SL) in December 2007.
• The goal was to augment distance education with immersive learning experiences for nursing students.
• Virtual environments offer advantages for nursing education, aligning with experiential learning preferences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the use of virtual islands in Second Life for nursing education.
• To provide nursing students with opportunities for immersion learning and simulation of patient care scenarios.
• To leverage virtual environments for high-risk, low-volume clinical experiences, enhancing patient safety.

Main Methods:

• Acquisition of four virtual islands in Second Life.
• Creation of virtual facilities including a hospital, clinic, classrooms, and patient avatars.
• Engagement of nursing faculty and students (77) with avatars for class sessions, office hours, and synchronous chats.

Main Results:

• Development of virtual spaces for diverse learning activities, including public health modules (sanitarian role, WIC program).
• Implementation of experiential learning exercises simulating home visits and patient care scenarios.
• Successful integration of virtual environments for practicing rare, high-risk clinical situations, enabling repeated practice without patient harm.

Conclusions:

• Virtual environments like Second Life offer significant advantages for nursing education by providing realistic simulations.
• This technology facilitates active learning, immediate feedback, and consistent experiences, revolutionizing nursing education.
• Virtual simulations enhance nursing student preparedness for complex clinical encounters, ultimately improving patient safety.