Saint Mary's College nursing program deploys VR body-swap simulation for disaster training

Background

Saint Mary's College Department of Nursing Science, located in Notre Dame, Indiana, has integrated AI-powered virtual reality simulation into its nursing curriculum. The technology was showcased at the college's second annual Senior Nursing Simulation Day on 22 April 2026, held in the basement of Regina Hall — home to the Centre for Integrative Healthcare Education.

The Simulation Day

More than 130 participants took part in the full-day event, including 61 undergraduate and seven Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) students, 40 volunteer disaster victims, and an alumnae panel of registered nurses, faculty, and staff. Students were tasked with triaging and treating casualties from a staged chemistry laboratory explosion, with simulations running every 90 minutes across six rounds.

The VR Platform

The VR experience is AI-powered and enables nursing students to deliver clinical reports to virtual patients in a simulated hospital setting, receiving real-time AI feedback on their performance. Its signature capability — a body-swapping feature — places the student in the perspective of the patient avatar while recording audio and tracking facial expressions during the report. This perspective-switch is designed to build empathy and communication self-awareness.

Eight VR headsets are available to the programme. Jennifer Riggs, professional specialist and VR programme leader, oversees the deployment under Department Director Trish Keresztes.

Disaster-Specific Scenarios

Kylee Rohatgi, assistant professor of nursing science, co-led the simulation day and designed two VR scenarios specifically for disaster response — covering skills students are unlikely to encounter in standard clinical placements.

Outcomes and Feedback

According to Riggs' abstract for Saint Mary's annual research symposium (29 April 2026), the simulations target clinical judgment, teamwork, person-centred communication, empathy, and de-escalation. Faculty noted that initial apprehension about AI adoption quickly gave way to enthusiasm once the platform's capabilities became apparent. Students have responded positively, citing the safe-to-fail environment as a key benefit for hands-on learning.

Quotes

“It's different. It's nice that it's hands on, it feels really immersive. You feel like you can try stuff out without really hurting anybody.”

“I think we were all a little bit afraid of AI at first because we didn't know what it was capable of. But then pretty quickly, we learned, 'Oh my gosh, look at what it can do and all of these great opportunities for our students.'”

“For today, at least for the virtual reality, we designed two specific simulations for disaster response that can allow students to practice skills that they might not otherwise get in their other clinical experiences and just hopefully be thought provoking.”