Promoting Nursing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Through Virtual Reality Learning

Area of Science:

• Healthcare leadership
• Educational technology
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Background:

• Nurse leaders play a crucial role in establishing inclusive healthcare environments.
• Addressing discrimination, racism, microaggressions, and bias requires effective leadership strategies.
• Traditional training methods may not fully prepare leaders for complex DEI challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel leadership education initiative focused on DEI.
• To evaluate the use of virtual reality (VR) for DEI training among nurse leaders.
• To assess the potential of immersive experiences in promoting DEI principles.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of a VR-based DEI training program for nurse leaders.
• Utilizing immersive simulations to represent lived experiences of discrimination and bias.
• Assessing the effectiveness of the VR training in enhancing DEI knowledge and skills.

Main Results:

• Virtual reality provides a safe and effective learning environment for DEI training.
• Immersion in simulated experiences promotes understanding and empathy towards diverse populations.
• Nurse leaders reported increased confidence in addressing DEI issues post-training.

Conclusions:

• VR-based DEI training is a promising educational approach for nurse leaders.
• Immersive learning experiences can significantly improve the promotion and exemplification of DEI principles.
• Further exploration of VR for various educational applications in healthcare is warranted.