A 3D simulation program designed to build confidence and familiarize Australian nursing students in a health care setting is set to make a push into Asia.
The NurseSim software was developed by South Australian company ETRAIN Interactive Pty Ltd and TAFE SA, a higher education and training institution.
The online training program enables students to practice the necessary steps involved in a range of healthcare procedures such as intra-muscular injections, blood retrieval and pressure measurement.
(Photo credit: Anders Wotzke, The Lead South Australia)
NurseSim is used to support traditional theoretical and practical training. The software is available through a web browser and can be accessed at home or at an educational institution.
ETRAIN managing director Matthew Balic said the healthcare simulation tool would not only help students practice general procedures more regularly but also provide universities with a cost effective learning tool.
He said the allied healthcare simulations were being trialed by almost a dozen different institutions in Australia and could be available in Asia by mid-2017.
“It’s a full 3D game engine delivered through a browser that allows you to walk through a hospital environment and do things like pick up a sphygmomanometer cuff to do a blood pressure measurement on a patient,” he said.
“It’s not meant to replace any hands on practical methods, it’s meant to be complementary so students are able to do it as many times as they like to get enough practice on the one procedure.
“There are huge markets of hundreds of thousands of people who are looking for extra vocational training but can’t pay big prices for access to this type of training.”
The 3D program uses video game technology to simulate real-world situations commonly found in aged care or nursing.
Students are able to put into practice the information they gained from lectures, workshops and practical learning situations at their convenience.
NurseSim allows them to control the simulation using a mouse (or touchscreen) to lift equipment and interact with patients at the click of the button.
Students are also able to walk around a hospital environment as well as inspect and rotate various objects throughout the training.
Balic said the program required an internet connection to run but could work on ordinary broadband as fast as 1 Mbps.
It is not yet available on mobile devices or tablets.
ETRAIN and TAFE SA’s 3D simulation training recently won the Community Services award and Infrastructure & Platforms Innovation of the Year award at the 2016 iAwards, a digital awards program sponsored by the Australian Information Industry Association.
The iAwards are designed to recognize innovative companies having an impact in the field of Information and Communications Technology.
TAFE SA Director of Community Services, Health and Lifestyle Chris McCann said the technology supported the training of skilled nurses who were better prepared for work placement through being able to learn, review and continually practice their clinical skills outside the classroom.
She said the expert clinical knowledge and advice of TAFE SA staff was instrumental in the development of the ETRAIN Interactive product.
“Given the caliber of award entries at this event, this is a wonderful validation of our efforts to continually improve our training by providing state-of-the-art training tools,” McCann said.
(This is a Creative Commons story from The Lead South Australia, a news service providing stories about innovation in South Australia.)
