Technology

Posted on November 1, 2019 by staff

University and tech firm launch immersive room for nurses

Technology

Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) is launching a new immersive training room as part of its Adult Nursing programme in order to give students the experience of delivering clinical care under realistic, and high-pressure conditions.

The immersive room, designed and built by LCR-based Immersive Interactive, uses projection, audio, and interactivity to make the training more realising.

Immersive Interactive worked with the university to create realistic clinical environments, building on traditional simulation methods which use mannequins and medical equipment. The platform also allows students and lecturers from LJMU’s nursing faculty to design and produce their own interactive learning programmes to tailor course content to their needs.

The room will be officially launched as part of LJMU’s Adult Nursing programme this month and is the first time the university has used fully immersive content as part of the course.

Founded in 2013, Immersive Interactive specialises in creating education and training solutions using software, hardware, and digital content, to create immersive ‘virtual reality’ rooms.

Based in Southport, it has seen significant growth in the past six years and has recently received funding through the Local Growth Hub to further develop its cloud-based software on which its technology is based.

The Local Growth Hub have previously supported Immersive Interactive with funding and business support, including participation in the LCR Activate programme, which has allowed the business to expand its expertise into new sectors.

As a result, Immersive Interactive has 150 spaces globally and is now providing rooms across all aspects of healthcare, including mental health, dementia care, and end of life care.

Immersive Interactive director Chris Porter said the experience in the room could make the difference in real, life or death situations.

“As we’ve grown, so has our offering and we’re now able to build scenarios and rooms which are completely immersive, interacting with all the senses,” he said.

“The financial and advisory support the Local Growth Hub has really helped us to bring our immersive rooms to life, develop our technical capability, and push into new territories. We’re set to keep on growing and pushing the boundaries of immersive training.”

Jan Williams, senior nurse lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, added: “I was really keen to find out how we could use technology to enhance the simulation-based learning on the course, but didn’t want to simply use technology for technology’s sake.

“Immersive Interactive developed the basis of the room for us and set it up within the university so staff could see if this was something they could use. Overwhelmingly, the staff felt that the room would enhance the students learning experience.”