University of North Texas acquired two WorldViz VizMove PRISM virtual simulation rooms as part of their new simulation facility outfit, including an enhanced 4-projector WorldViz setup with touch control functionality, plus WorldViz Vizard virtual reality software for building immersive, interactive VR applications. One of the two theaters is 3D enabled for visualization and interaction.
Karen Meadows, MSN, RN, Program Director:
“No student should leave our university and say, ‘I didn’t have an opportunity to be fully prepared for my future experience,’ To me, that’s really why the simulation center is here. Some learners take two times through, and they’ve got it down. Others may need eight, and that learner needs the opportunity to come in and practice. The flexibility that this center offers is going to provide that.”
Sarah E. Pearce PhD, CHSE, Director of Simulation and Standardized Patients for the IPE-LRC College of Nursing:
“The PRISM system allows our students to apply and practice knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to nursing education in a realistic and highly immersive environment. PRISM provides our students with the opportunity to make mistakes, receive targeted feedback and then correct those mistakes in a safe learning environment prior to their entry into clinical, which in turn helps to improve patient quality and safety outcomes, through simulation based learning and education.”
The College of Nursing at California Baptist University prepares nursing students in a state-of-the-art WorldViz PRISM immersive training room before they enter clinical practice. The seven ultra-short-throw projectors system allows educators and students to transform their large training room into a variety of content-rich scenario training environments that they supplement with real props including mannequins and medical equipment.
The PRISM immersive simulation room at Moreno Valley college comes with three-wall projections of real-life environments with content captured from throughout the county. Footage is sampled from public areas, businesses, medical facilities, and homes from throughout the county, serving to immerse the paramedic student in real-life scenes they will likely recognize or encounter in the field. An interactive high-fidelity mannequin sits in the middle of the room, operated in real-time by a faculty member that not only simulates patient dialogue and character development, but can observe and guide the students remotely while watching on monitors in the control room.
Robert Fontaine, Department Chair and EMS Director at Moreno Valley College:
“The simulation [room] allows our faculty to create a wide variety of scenarios for our students and to adjust the outcomes of a patient encounter. In order to be competitive, we need to look at technology and simulation to train and educate the future of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) professionals.”
Kimberly Hoffmans, R.N., Ed.D., President of Ventura College:
“Technological enhancements to online instruction have been crucial in elevating the digital experience, which has resulted in a more positive learning outcome. Students in the Ventura County Community College District demand and deserve high-quality education delivered in multiple formats of in-person and online instruction to integrate into their busy schedules.”
The PRISM virtual simulation room at Ventura College combines high-resolution surround projection with directional sound and touch interactivity to add lifelike contextual stimuli to learning environments. The system completely transformed the college’s approach to learning by providing immersive technology for Ventura College’s paramedic studies and emergency medical technician lab. The paramedic program leadership notes that elevating stress during training improves learning outcomes and paramedic preparedness. Using PRISM to create hazardous or otherwise difficult-to-recreate scenarios evokes a sense of presence in scenario training and improves learner engagement.
Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) has launched an innovative training program for its EMS professionals using the WorldViz PRISM virtual simulation room. The EMSA Simulation, Training, Education, and Preparedness (SimTEP) program aims to prepare paramedics and EMTs for the high-stress, life-or-death situations they face in the field. Through PRISM’s immersive environment, trainees experience a 360-degree simulation that provides realistic scenarios, such as responding to hazardous material spills or complex trauma cases.
Johna Easley, EMSA President and CEO:
“The EMSA SimTEP program is one of the most significant clinical education initiatives I’ve seen in my 15-year career at EMSA. By delivering customized training that strengthens skills, gives data-driven feedback and improves knowledge retention, we will continue to improve upon the excellent clinical care we provide each day.”
