On 23 May last, nurses and teachers responsible for the ARsim2care project, Leticia San Martín, Paula Escalada and Nelia Soto from the Public University of Navarre (UPNA) visited the Campus Docent as partner center of the project.
Volunteer students from 2º, 3º and 4º grade in Nursing Degree had the chance to perform the intramuscular injection technique using the augmented reality (AR) Hololens goggles. These allowed them to see overlayed on a simulated buttock the intern structures imposible to visualize otherwise.
Some of the advantages from AR are that, unlike virtual reality (VR), AR allows to retain the visibility of the real world and overlay contents on it granting a mixed reality (MR). On other hand, the use of Microsoft Hololens has suppposed a big revolution since it allowed de visualization of AR and MR keeping the hands free por the realization of techniques or procedures.
These advantages have caused several uses on healthcare practics to appear, specially to improve attention, foster motivation and rehabilitation both physic and psychologic, visualizing intern organs in 3D in the surgical field or facilitating the information of medical and pharmacological products.
As decisive point of the session, the guests shared with students and teachers who were interested the possibilities that technology opens, and specially virtual and augmented reality in the health field, as well as the currently existing limitations. The Campus is thankful for their visit, awaiting future collaborations in this scope.
The ARsim2care project, where the Public University of Navarre, the iAR, the Erasmus Hogeschool Brussel and the Erfermagem Graduate School of Coimbra work together, aims to enhance the use of manikins with augmented reality in order to carry out techinques such as the nasogastric sound, intramuscular injection, endotracheal tubing or aspiration of secretions. With the purpose of makibng a first evaluation, willing students were asked to perform the intramuscular injection and then give out their valoration on aspects such as the utility, practicity or dificulty of using the app.
