When it comes to treating strokes, doctors have a strange saying: “Time is brain.” It means every second counts, and now hospitals across NSW are using virtual reality to help improve life changing treatment.
Using Virtual Reality to Improve Emergency Stroke Care
Emergency department nurses across New South Wales (NSW) will now have the opportunity to gain valuable real-time experience in stroke care through a new virtual reality (VR) training program. This program, officially launched today by NSW Health Minister Ryan Park, will be implemented in 27 hospitals across the state and aims to enhance stroke care outcomes.
“Stroke is a time-critical medical emergency, and this technology will help to improve outcomes for people presenting with stroke,” said Minister Park. “Fast response and treatment of stroke are vital to saving lives and improving recovery.”
The VR training program provides emergency nurses with simulated real-time scenarios, allowing them to practice handling the critical first minutes of stroke cases. A total of 27 VR headsets have been distributed to regional, rural, and metropolitan hospitals, with a particular focus on smaller hospitals where staff may have limited exposure to stroke presentations.
Minister Park expressed his satisfaction with the use of innovative technology for training nurses, stating, “It’s really pleasing to see this innovative technology being used to train nurses.”
The stroke VR nurse training program will be implemented across all regional local health districts, including hospitals such as Tweed, Lismore, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Moree, Armidale, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Manning, Dubbo, Broken Hill, Orange, Bathurst, Lithgow, Blue Mountains, Goulburn, Cooma, Shoalhaven, Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Deniliquin, Moruya, and South East Regional Hospital (SERH). It will also run in Sydney, Northern Sydney, and South Eastern Sydney local health districts at hospitals such as Royal Prince Alfred, Prince of Wales, St Vincent’s, and Royal North Shore.
Dr Jean-Frédéric Levesque, NSW Health Deputy Secretary Clinical Innovation and Research, and Chief Executive at the Agency for Clinical Innovation, emphasized that the VR training is part of the public health system’s commitment to utilizing technology for improved patient care. Particularly in regional areas where hospitals may not receive the same volume of stroke patients as their urban counterparts, this innovative training program provides access to best-practice stroke care.
“This new training program complements the successful NSW Telestroke Service, which uses video consultation to provide people living in rural and regional NSW with rapid access to specialist stroke diagnoses and treatment,” added Dr Levesque. “Telestroke is now operating in 23 hospitals across the state.”
The TACTICS VR stroke training program is a collaborative effort between the Agency for Clinical Innovation and the University of Newcastle Centre for Advanced Training Systems. Professor Rohan Walker from the University of Newcastle highlighted the positive feedback from healthcare staff who have already experienced the immersive, interactive, and evidence-based training provided by the TACTICS VR platform.
“Health staff find the immersive, interactive, and evidence-based training easy to use, and it improves their confidence in best-practice clinical care,” Professor Walker said.
With the implementation of this VR training program, NSW aims to further enhance stroke care and ensure that nurses are equipped with the necessary skills to handle critical situations effectively.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and may not represent the most up-to-date news on the topic. For official announcements and updates, please refer to authorized sources. https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/virtual-reality-stroke-care
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