Coventry University’s virtual simulation training for nurses and midwives wins European award

Coventry University’s virtual simulation experiences (VSE), which allow healthcare students and qualified practitioners to experience real-life situations in a virtual world, has won a European award.

Co-designed by nursing and midwifery educators and healthcare practice leaders from across the globe, the VSE uses browser-based virtual environments to simulate patients, clients, users and colleagues to develop learners’ capabilities by working through life-like, challenging situations and acts as a bridge between classroom learning and real-life clinical experience.

Its benefits have now been recognised at the 2023 Triple E Awards, which are billed as ‘recognising efforts toward the quest for entrepreneurship and engagement in higher education’, winning the European Community Engagement Initiative of the Year award.

The VSE was recognised for its capability to help address predicted shortages in healthcare workers worldwide over the next decade through the development of leadership and digital literacy skills among early career nurses and midwives which is critical to addressing issues such as staff retention and patient outcomes.

Project director and Assistant Professor in Health Simulation, Abbie Green, attended the awards ceremony in Barcelona to accept the award on behalf of the project team.

Other organisations involved in the project include Children’s Health Ireland; the Centre of Children’s Nurse Education in Ireland, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in America, and Midwife Led Community Transformation and the National Health Care Conferences, both in Uganda.

Find out more about the university’s health simulation course.