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Evaluation

Engage: Discover impactful ways to implement new strategies in nurse anesthesia education programs

Virtual Reality and Competency-Based Education: A New Era for Nurse Anesthesia Programs (1 MAC Ed CE)

Thursday, February 5, 2026
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM East Coast USA Time
Location: Level 2- Olmsted Ballroom 5
This interactive session explores the integration of SimVANA Virtual Reality (VR) training into foundational nurse anesthesia education, focusing on outcomes related to anesthesia gas machine proficiency, induction sequence execution, and intubation.

Drawing on current literature supporting VR’s role in improving procedural accuracy and learner readiness, this session presents key findings and anesthesia-specific implications from a non-randomized comparative cohort study evaluating outcomes between students who completed VR training before their OR experience and a prior cohort without VR exposure.

Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to implement VR into existing curricula, align VR training with competency-based assessment standards, and enhance both technical and non-technical skills development. Live demonstration, interactive discussion, audience polling, and Q&A will actively engage participants in identifying strategies for sustainable VR integration into nurse anesthesia education.

Learning Objectives:

  • Demonstrate how to effectively incorporate VR training into nurse anesthesia programs, including selecting appropriate platforms, determining optimal placement within the curriculum, and identifying competency-based assessment strategies.
  • Explore how immersive technologies create realistic, controlled environments that promote skill development, allow for repeated practice, and build learner confidence.
  • Describe how VR training influences key anesthesia competencies, including proficiency with anesthesia gas machine operation, induction of general anesthesia, time to successful intubation and intubation success rates.