A Cooler Way to Practice

UTA is the first university in the nation to use a new type of virtual immersion room as a training tool for future nurses.

In April, the College of Nursing and Health Innovation and UTA’s Center for Rural Health and Nursing held a ribbon cutting for its new Igloo Immersion Room, a 13-foot-by-13-foot space with screens and projectors that simulate lifelike environments on its walls and floor. This form of virtual reality transports nursing students anywhere they may be needed, allowing them to step into a variety of environments and hone their skills in a safe and constructive space.

“Our nursing students already use simulation in clinical practice during nursing school,” says Aspen Drude, manager of the Center for Rural Health and Nursing. “But this was a way for them to get something that no other school has.”

Located in the University’s state-of-the-art Smart Hospital, the Igloo is primarily being used to train students on situations like home health care visits and more serious incidents, such as vehicle accidents.

The training modules available in the Igloo in particular can help rural nurses prepare for the wide variety of medical scenarios they may encounter.

“UTA is known for innovation and the impact our nurses make across Texas,” says President Jennifer Cowley. “The Igloo is one more example of our continued innovation.”