Virtual reality training for staff improves Veteran experience

Birmingham VA is streamlining the way of the future with virtual reality training for employees. As a part of VA’s commitment to improving patient experience, Birmingham VA was chosen as the first pilot site for virtual reality (VR) training specific to the hospital discharge process.

This VR application was created by the Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning and the Veterans Experience Office as a training experience for VA staff. The VR training takes employees through a Veteran’s journey during the hospital discharge process to provide insight into the patient perspective. The goal is to develop and expand employee skill sets by building empathy and compassion to meet the Veteran’s needs.

The patient’s perspective

“This has helped me to understand the patients’ position,” said Brittany Hinton, assistant nurse manager. “Taking myself out of the nurses’ role in the discharging process and putting myself in the patients’ shoes helps [me] to understand what they may be going through during that process.”

Clinical teams learn how Veterans navigate hospital discharge

The hospital discharge process can overwhelm many Veterans. Clinical teams must understand how to navigate those crucial moments to increase patient satisfaction.

“Bringing this type of training here is revolutionary,” said Dr. Cynthia Cleveland, associate director of Patient Care Services. “Education for our staff is incredibly important. Virtual reality can enhance training effectiveness and improve the patient-provider relationship for optimal health outcomes.”

With a focus on Veteran-centric care, Birmingham VA strives to create a positive environment for Veterans and embraces new ways to personalize care.

We’re not playing games

“I have a virtual reality system at home, but I didn’t know to what extent, outside of gaming, it could help me in my profession and build my professional stand on taking care of Veterans,” said Hinton. “I’m glad we are using modern technology to better enhance the quality of care we give our Veterans.”

In 2022, Birmingham VA was ranked #1 in the region for Care Transition and received a 4-star patient experience rating from Medicare’s 2022 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient survey report.

These accomplishments are evidence that Birmingham VA staff are dedicated to emphasizing the Veteran experience and are continuously learning how to improve Veteran care.