Technology lets students see inside patients
They’ll be interacting with a patient, but the patient won’t really be there.
That’s because they will be a hologram, and Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) nursing students in Invercargill will be some of the first in New Zealand to use this technology with holographic patients.
The students will be able to visualise internal anatomy using Microsoft Hololens headsets with Pearson HoloApps software, using augmented reality, virtual reality and 360 degree video to ‘‘see’’ inside their patients.
The first demonstration of the Hololens was held at SIT on Friday, when about 400 high school students gathered at the Invercargill campus for the annual Open Day 2018.
SIT health and humanities faculty head Maree Howden said the use of virtual reality allowed difficult concepts to be shown in near real-life scenarios, so that students could develop skills in assessment, active listening and enhancing the ability to describe a patient’s condition.
‘‘We are at the forefront of using exciting new digital approaches in education.’’
Donning the headset means students can see a digital representation of lifesized images such as a heart.
‘‘The get to walk around that image, and by pushing a digital button they can dissect pieces of anatomy, pull back the layers revealing chambers of the heart, arteries, and the like, therefore it has value in anatomy education.
‘‘It is a phenomenal piece of technology. I just about jumped out of my skin when I first tried it. If this had been around when I was a student 40 years ago, anatomy would have been my favourite subject, it is so immersive.’’
However, technology would not replace the hands-on aspects of nursing training.
‘‘It’s not going to replace clinical experience with patients at all but this technology will be a very strong supplement to what’s happening.’’
She said it was suited to some learning situations rather than listening to a lecturer.
Nursing students will start using the Hololens next year.
SIT first saw it in action at the University of Canberra.
It would adopt the technology in the sport and exercise science and massage programmes, especially for anatomy and physiology, she said.
‘‘This technology is likely to be used by all areas where sciences are taught, so eventually will spread across faculties at SIT.’’
Immersive virtual reality learning using tools such as the Hololens was transforming health care education, and SIT was excited to introduce this cutting edge technology to all levels of nursing programmes, she said.