Walking in Their Shoes: Virtual Reality and Video Empathy Training for New Hire Nurses and Patient Care Assistants

INTRODUCTION: Empathy can enhance patient satisfaction, improve clinical outcomes, and cultivate strong team collaboration. Despite its recognized importance, empathy can often be lacking in stressful, fast-paced health care environments, particularly among coworkers. The objective of this project was to study the impact of virtual reality (VR) and screen-based simulation training on health care participant empathy. METHODS: New hire registered nurses (RNs) and patient care assistants on orientation completed The Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals Version before and after empathy training sessions. Using a quasi-experimental design, participants were randomized by month to VR or video groups, with an opportunity to opt out of the VR experience. Immediately following the video, both groups received a debriefing led by 1 of 2 nurse educators with a focus on increasing empathy for others to enhance collaborative relationships with colleagues, patients, and family members. RESULTS: A total of 249 participants completed the training, 119 in the video group and 130 in the VR group. Demographics were similar between groups, with a larger percentage of RNs in the video group (59% RNs) as compared with the VR group. Both the VR and video groups demonstrated statistically significant improvement on the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. CONCLUSIONS: Health care workers in this study demonstrated improvement in empathy scores after participating in simulation training with immersive 360-degree videos from the patient, family, and co-worker perspectives.