In an era where innovation is redefining healthcare, few voices resonate as powerfully as those from Dr. Bonnie Clipper, DNP, MA, MBA, RN, CENP, FACHE, FAAN. As a thought leader and advocate, and author of The Innovation Handbook: A Nurse Leader’s Guide to Transforming Nursing, Bonnie’s insights are invaluable for those at the forefront of education and practice, particularly in the hospital sector.
In this interview with VRpatients, Bonnie gets real about how virtual reality and simulation are shaping the future of nursing, the pivotal role technology plays in enhancing nurse competency, and the strategies needed to overcome the hurdles facing nurse educators today. For educators, leaders, and innovators alike, this conversation is a must-read—full of actionable insights that could elevate your training programs and empower the next generation of nurses.
Plus, if you haven’t seen it already, check out Bonnie’s podcast with VRpatients on the Immersive Medical YouTube channel.
- Let’s start with the basics. What got you into this field, and how did you get hooked on virtual nursing and innovation?
I was selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow in 2014, which required me to choose a topic that I could contribute to professionally to grow the body of work. I selected innovation and collaborated with four other fellows on this topic. At that time, innovation was not a “thing” in nursing. We didn’t know what it was or how to use it to change healthcare. Our RWJENF team published a white paper, “The Innovation Roadmap: A Guide for Nurse Leaders,” which has been downloaded over 200,000 times. After I had completed the fellowship program, I ran into Dr. Marla Weston, the CEO at that time of the American Nurses Association, and she asked me to apply for the inaugural VP of Innovation role. I did and gladly accepted the role which was an amazing opportunity to create the roadmap bringing over four million nurses into the innovation space, and I have never looked back!
- How have you seen innovative alternative reality platforms solving the biggest challenges in nurse education these days, such as resource allocation, retention and budget restraints?
The use of Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality has the potential to make education more efficient and more effective for nursing schools and employers of nurses, such as hospitals, clinics, home care, etc. The technology is more effective and learning “lasts” longer. This technology also has the potential to supplement clinical education departments that might not have had their ideal resources anymore and can act as an educational force multiplier.
- What do you think are the biggest barriers to the widespread adoption of virtual reality and simulation technologies in the professional healthcare sector?
This is a paradigm shift that will require a great deal of education. There is a concern that this is an expensive approach and that the ROI isn’t there. I think that we have to talk about the costs, and help to build strong business cases and demonstrate how this technology can offset other costs and improve the quality of care.
- How do you envision virtual and augmented reality platforms like VRpatients addressing the challenges hospitals face with limited simulation space?
Imagine new hires, especially new grads, showing up on day one, having already gone through some basic education through the use of VR/MR. The initial policies can be reviewed along with return demonstrations to indicate understanding and competence. Consider the impact of annual competency assessments when nurses are provided with a headset and can do it at a convenient time instead of trying to squeeze into a small sim lab with hours that don’t meet their needs.
- How can mixed reality technologies that leverage existing infrastructure—such as enabling nurses to walk into an empty room for a quick 15-minute Mixed Reality simulation during a shift—drive innovation in critical thinking and clinical decision-making training?
VR/MR can provide new learning opportunities through carefully crafted virtual learning scenarios that require critical thinking, problem-solving and muscle memory. This allows a failure-safe environment for teaching and learning to provide safer and more competent clinical staff in a more efficient manner. Think about organizations that are building new service lines and need to train staff on new equipment or care modalities, this is perfect for that. Best of all, it captures data and shows you who is doing well and who could benefit from more training.
- OK, now a fun question! If you could design your own virtual simulation scenario, focused on critical thinking or clinical judgment, what kind of nursing challenge or situation would you create, and why?
I would target a common problem that has become complex due to how pateinst are changing. I would focus on a scenario where nurses explain safety precautions to patients and their families in a culturally competent manner. It is crazy to me how many patients and families are “refusing” safety interventions such as fall precautions, bed alarms, asking for help, etc., and getting hurt as a result. These negative outcomes are reflected in the data of the organizations and aren’t their fault. However, non-compliance, and “you can’t make me…” is causing harm so we need to find ways to practice these conversations in a way that allows us to ensure the highest possible safety precautions are taken for patients.