New research suggests that virtual reality (VR) could enhance the training of future nurses, offering practical experience beyond the walls of inpatient clinics.
The study, conducted by Bethany Cieslowski, an associate professor of nursing at Virginia-based George Mason University, and her team of researchers, found that nursing students who engaged with immersive VR training that simulates common nursing environments were found to perform better overall than students who exclusively received clinical practice.
“The use of VR continues to grow in clinical nursing practice; however, the existing body of evidence on VR, especially immersive virtual reality, is limited,” Cieslowski said in a press release.
The research examined the general effectiveness of an immersive VR simulation training program that could serve as a replacement to pediatric clinical practice. After one control group received typical inpatient clinical training and one intervention group completed simulated VR training, all students underwent an in-person simulation test to compare performance outcomes.
Nursing students who carried out VR training demonstrated higher performance in infection control, initial assessment and oxygen therapy – all subdomains that are tested and scored in nursing schools.
Total performance scores were measured to be significantly higher for the VR group compared to the clinically trained students, with no notable differences found in medication administration, focused assessments or patient evaluations.
The study, published in Science Direct, aimed to determine new approaches to tackling increasing nursing school enrolments – a reaction to previous nursing shortages throughout the pandemic.
“New strategies must be employed to optimize learning, engage learners, and provide methods to ensure competency in future nursing graduates,” the study said.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a high demand for pediatric clinical placements coupled with limited sites pose substantial difficulties towards attaining sufficient pediatric experience.
Cieslowski believes VR could offer hope.
“These preliminary results offer promise and demonstrate the potential of immersive virtual reality in the future of nursing education and preparing the workforce of the future,” she said in the release.
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
The trial of a Newfoundland lawyer accused of sexual assault ended Tuesday with his defence team alleging the complainant lied under oath, while the prosecution said her memory lapses were understandable.
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar have appeared by video in a British Columbia court, with scores of Sikh community members inside and outside the hearing.
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
A former Canadian navy sailor was handed a $3,000 fine and a suspended jail sentence Tuesday after pleading guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from his shipmates aboard a Pacific fleet frigate.
It's been one week since investigators began their search at the Saskatoon landfill, looking for answers in the MacKenzie Trottier case.
Israeli troops seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday in what the White House described as a limited operation, as fears mount of a full-scale invasion of the southern city as talks with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release remain on a knife's edge.
Belarus launched drills involving missiles and warplanes capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons, which close ally Russia has deployed there amid tensions with the West over Ukraine.
The Canadian government used a Haitian executive's property for helicopter evacuations of its citizens as violence escalated there last month, even while refusing to remove him from a sanctions list, a Federal Court application says.
The federal judge in Florida presiding over the classified documents prosecution of former U.S. president Donald Trump has cancelled the May 20 trial date, postponing it indefinitely.
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
At least 192 people died in B.C. from toxic drugs in March, the latest data from the provincial coroner shows.
The American Cancer Society said Tuesday that it is seeking participants for a study that aims to solve the mystery of why Black women have the lowest survival rate in the U.S. for most cancers.
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Scientists studying the sperm whales that live around the Caribbean island of Dominica have described for the first time the basic elements of how they might be talking to each other, in an effort that could one day help better protect them.
TikTok and its Chinese parent company filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new American law that would ban the popular video-sharing app in the U.S. unless it's sold to an approved buyer.
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
Saturday's Eurovision final will be watched by more than 150 million people around the world on TV and around 15,000 fans gathered inside the Malmo Arena.
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
The CRTC has denied a request by Bell Canada and some independent internet providers for an expedited decision that would prevent large carriers from using rivals' fibre networks to offer their services to customers.
Japanese video-game maker Nintendo said Tuesday that it will make an announcement about a successor to its Switch home console sometime before March 2025.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an ‘eggstraordinary’ find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.
For the past 12 years, Krista Richard has been delivering bikes to people in the Greater Moncton area free of charge.
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Travis Green, 53, is the new head coach of the Ottawa Senators.
Spurs' star Victor Wembanyama has been announced as the unanimous winner of the NBA's Rookie of the Year award.
The federal Liberals are trying to crack down on a scourge of auto thefts across the country, even as the government is struggling to keep its own vehicles away from thieves, new data show.
Ford is set to recall some pickup trucks in Canada due to potential tail light failure.
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Whether passionate about Poirot or hungry for Holmes, Winnipeg mystery obsessives have had a local haunt for over 30 years in which to search out their latest page-turners.
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
A barge began drifting toward the shore in Vancouver Tuesday afternoon, prompting a call to the Coast Guard.
A downed tree has been cleared from the Stanley Park Causeway after it caused major delays for drivers travelling between Vancouver and the North Shore Tuesday afternoon.
The federal government approved B.C.'s request Tuesday to recriminalize the use of drugs in public spaces such as hospitals and parks.
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
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The City of Toronto is changing up its eyebrow-raising rules at a west-end baseball diamond.
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
COVID-19 statistics saw an uptick in late April in Alberta — a development one doctor says is straining hospitals even more.
The Calgary Flames will be picking ninth overall in the 2024 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft.
Ottawa police have announced a murder charge in connection with the stabbing death of a 15-year-old in Nepean last week.
The Ottawa Senators will have the seventh pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
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CTV News Montreal's ray of sunshine — Lori Graham — is leaving the station after more than 25 years. The longtime weather specialist announced on Tuesday that she is saying goodbye to her CTV family to spend more time giving back to the community, specifically, her faith community on the South Shore.
The Montreal Canadiens retained the fifth pick in the upcoming NHL lottery draft on Tuesday night.
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Passengers on a flight from Denver to Edmonton were delayed on Tuesday after their plane got stuck while taxiing to the gate in Edmonton.
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Nova Scotia's police watchdog says a Halifax Regional Police officer has been charged with assault.
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Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
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Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health is touting a record number of surgeries performed in the last fiscal year, despite ranking last in the country for knee and hip replacement wait times.
Two Kitchener residents are facing charges in what police are calling one of the largest drug seizures in the Waterloo Regional Police Services’ history.
Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police say a woman was sexually assaulted by an unknown man at a Fergus retailer last week.
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.
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Aaron Fosseneuve says the official name of the road into his home community of Cumberland House is Highway 123, but locals joke it’s not as easy as 1-2-3 — “it’s more like a 4-5-6.”
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
People in Timmins are waking up to a heavy police presence and road closures in the area of Sixth Avenue and Pine Street on Tuesday morning.
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The City of Sarnia will not clear out a homeless encampment in a city park anytime soon. The decision comes after a heated debate and multiple legal opinions — it also came just an hour before a serious stabbing occurred.
A social service agency that offers support primarily geared to sex workers has written a pointed letter to London City Council, but appears to be focused on one council member in particular.
Weeks after a third deputy chief was sworn in, more changes are being made in upper management at London Police Service headquarters.
Police are investigating a suspicious death that took place in the Town of Midland.
Casino Rama Resort is amping up its 2024 entertainment lineup with three new rock performances, promising fans a nostalgic journey.
Barrie bylaw officers issued a violation notice to an individual who had set up an encampment in the vicinity of Milligan's Pond on Monday.
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for the Windsor region early Tuesday evening.
Trevor Hosie, 36, told the court he didn’t know the marijuana he consumed on May 6, 2023 was laced with a potent opioid. 'Sadly, this tragedy is the predictable outcome of the series of decisions made by Mr. Hosie on May 6, 2023,' Justice Christopher Uwagboe wrote in his sentence decision.
An ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment can bring darkness frustration and uncertainty. But a Lakeshore mother of two who is now cancer-free is planning to mark the milestone by trying to help others.
The federal government approved B.C.'s request Tuesday to recriminalize the use of drugs in public spaces such as hospitals and parks.
The family of a teenage girl who died in Victoria says it’s traumatized by an episode of a TV show about the paranormal – and its complaints have now led to it being removed from APTN and APTNlumi.ca.
A former Canadian navy sailor was handed a $3,000 fine and a suspended jail sentence Tuesday after pleading guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from his shipmates aboard a Pacific fleet frigate.
Models in uniquely designed red dresses are taking to the runway in British Columbia this weekend to make a powerful fashion statement about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
As of Tuesday afternoon, between 21 and 31 millimetres of rain had fallen in the Lethbridge region since Monday evening.
A woman is being sought by Lethbridge police in connection with a robbery at a gas station that turned into an assault.
Lethbridge police are looking for two people they believe were involved in the 'street robbery' of a senior last week.
A new service for seniors with mobility challenges is getting the attention of community organizations in Sault Ste. Marie.
A 77-year-old suspect has been charged with impaired driving in Elliot Lake following an incident early Monday evening.
Facing imminent closure, a last-minute agreement has been reached to keep the YMCA in Sault Ste. Marie open.
The trial of a Newfoundland lawyer accused of sexual assault ended Tuesday with his defence team alleging the complainant lied under oath, while the prosecution said her memory lapses were understandable.
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says an officer convicted in 2021 of raping a woman while on duty is no longer with the force.
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