Virtual Reality Simulation in Interprofessional Pediatric Cardiology Education

Introduction In acute care settings, pediatric congenital heart patients require comprehensive team-based care. Physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) co-manage these patients in the same manner. However, there may be few opportunities to train together. Virtual reality (VR) simulation in the pediatric cardiology setting offers a portable, immersive experience and can be a cost-saving alternative to traditional manikin-based simulation. We sought to study the effectiveness of VR as a tool for providing interprofessional education to physicians and APPs working with cardiology patients in both the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) and the emergency department (ED). Methods Physicians and APP pairs who clinically manage pediatric cardiology patients in the emergency department, cardiology acute care, and CICUs were identified to participate in two of eight VR simulations developed by a stand-alone pediatric hospital. The APP specialty was used to determine the appropriate selection of simulations for each provider pair. Four scenarios were designed in a virtual CICU, and four were in a virtual ED. Each physician-APP pair met for one hour, during which a 10-minute orientation, a five- to 10-minute simulation, a 10-minute debrief, and a second simulation were conducted. Each simulation was based on actual clinical situations, including five priority objectives for patient management to be met in five minutes or less, and whether a physician or APP initiated each objective was recorded. Following the VR simulations, participants completed a debrief and exit questionnaire. Results Seventeen physician-APP pairs participated in 33 simulations. An average of 3.4 objectives were met across all scenarios. Of the objectives met, 41% were initiated by an APP. Thirty-one participants completed post-simulation surveys. All agreed or strongly agreed that the VR environment enhanced their simulation experience and believed VR-based simulation could be useful for education in various pediatric settings. Conclusion Virtual reality simulation offers an immersive educational experience for providers across different professions within a pediatric cardiology setting. Further endeavors include evaluating bedside nurses' use of VR and comparing the use of VR with manikin-based approaches.