Background
The University of Regina's Faculty of Nursing launched its first Nursing Virtual Reality Hub in May 2026, giving nursing students an on-campus facility for immersive clinical simulation. Prior to the hub's opening, students travelled to Saskatchewan Polytechnic to access VR equipment — a collaboration that directly informed the design of the new space.
The university's nursing programmes require 100 hours of clinical experience. Growing enrolment has created capacity pressure in traditional placement settings, making supplementary simulation an increasingly important part of the curriculum.
The Deployment
The hub houses six VR simulation stations, each equipped with headsets, storage, and charging systems. Dedicated staff support scenario development and system operation. Students can interact with virtual patients, manipulate medical equipment, and practise clinical procedures in a controlled, risk-free environment.
The lab was completed in December 2025 and formally opened to students in May 2026, following a government-attended media event on campus.
Clinical Integration
Regulatory guidance allows up to 25 per cent of clinical hours in a given course to be fulfilled through simulation — meaning up to 25 VR hours can count toward the required 100 clinical hours per programme. Robin Evans, Interim Dean of Nursing, noted that the hub also allows students to encounter high-stakes scenarios unlikely to arise during conventional placements, including rare emergency presentations, in a setting where outcomes can be debriefed safely.
The hub was designed with direct input from Saskatchewan Polytechnic, which has operated VR nursing simulation for several years and runs a joint nursing programme with the university.
Funding
The Government of Saskatchewan contributed $250,000 CAD toward the facility. The funding followed a request from nursing staff who identified VR simulation as a practical means of improving clinical readiness and easing placement pressures across all nursing programme types in the province.
