A virtual reality training program has been developed to help paramedics and ambulance officers prepare for unplanned out-of-hospital births.
The training program called NEONATE features a 30 to 40-minute VR simulation of neonatal care scenarios during birth emergencies. These include temperature management, respiratory distress, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and one-minute Apgar score assessment.
The VR program, which can serve as a standalone or supplement to existing training programs, is designed for paramedics, volunteer ambulance officers, paramedic students, and nursing and midwifery students. It also includes an introduction to VR for users who are unfamiliar with the technology.
WHY IT MATTERS
An Edith Cowan University researcher created the VR program after finding from their previous study that many volunteer paramedics and ambulance officers are ill-equipped to handle out-of-hospital births, which are rare events they are less exposed to.
Such cases create high-pressure situations, “where immediate, skilled intervention is required,” according to Michella Hill, who is a PhD candidate at ECU.
It also does not help, she said, that traditional training for volunteer paramedics and ambulance officers provides “less time for obstetric and neonatal emergency preparation.”
“With VR, they can actually see the baby move and hear realistic breathing sounds, which significantly enhances engagement and skill retention,” Hill said, explaining the benefits of VR-based training.
She added that the VR program is highly accessible, unlike traditional training that requires coordination, significant resources, and rural volunteers travelling long distances.
Trials of this program, which has received grant funding from the Women and Infant Research Foundation, are currently underway. The training package is expected to be launched officially in early 2026.
THE LARGER TREND
In recent years, many hospitals and healthcare providers in Australia have integrated VR into their training programs, especially in critical care. Tertiary hospitals, including Fiona Stanley Hospital, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Westmead Hospital and Nepean Hospital, worked with Vantari VR, a known technology provider in this space, to introduce VR into their ICU training program. Gippsland-based trauma centre Latrobe Regional Hospital also adopted the same VR platform for its medical training.
Government agencies have also supported the integration of VR into healthcare training. The Australian Department of Defence, for example, has supported the development of a VR training module called Virtual Tactical Combat Care to train combat medics.
The New South Wales government’s Agency for Clinical Innovation, together with the University of Newcastle, has also backed the creation of a VR program called TACTICS VR, which trains emergency nurses to administer stroke care.
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