Wolters Kluwer and Laerdal Medical Enhance VR Simulation for Nursing Education With Conversational AI

vrClinicals for Nursing continues to transform multi-patient, virtual reality simulations with AI innovations

Bringing together two of the most exciting technologies driving the education and healthcare industries forward, Wolters Kluwer Health today announced the addition of conversational artificial intelligence (AI) to vrClinicals for Nursing. Since its launch together with Laerdal Medical in 2023, vrClinicals for Nursing has been a leading virtual reality (VR) solution in bridging the gap between classroom theory and clinical practice.

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vrClinicals for Nursing adds conversational AI - allowing students to have more in depth interactions with virtual patients and exposes them to different personalities, priorities and difficulties they may encounter on the job. Image credit, NCCU Communications and Marketing

“Conversational AI adds another important dimension to the complete education of nursing students, allowing them to engage naturally with virtual patients using their own voice,” said Julie Stegman, Vice President, Wolters Kluwer Health Learning & Practice. “We understand that the shift from classroom to care setting can be daunting for students—talking to their patients makes the educational experience feel more lifelike, helping build confidence and competence.”

Empowering nursing education with immersive, multi-patient scenarios

Virtual reality is redefining healthcare education by providing immersive learning experiences that link theoretical knowledge and practical skills. With vrClinicals for Nursing, students are transported into virtual hospital settings where they can hone their skills in patient care, clinical decision-making, and prioritization—all in a safe-to-fail environment.

Exposing students to more scenarios they will encounter during their professional careers is an increasingly important way to improve their learning experience. Conversational AI combined with the virtual reality scenarios enhances student engagement by allowing natural voice interactions, surpassing the limitations of point and click communication used in other virtual simulation modalities. Moving to an AI-based conversation functionality allows for much more in depth interactions with virtual patients and exposes students to different personalities, priorities and difficulties they may encounter on the job.

Enriching nurse educators’ and students’ experience with technology

vrClinicals for Nursing brings together faculty and students in a setting that goes beyond the traditional classroom, allowing both groups to learn through this transformative technology. Nurse educators benefit from a scalable, resource-efficient solution that reduces the need for physical clinical sites and simulation moderators, while students experience the realism of VR-based multi-patient simulations.

“It is impossible to teach everything a new nurse will face on the job in the classroom alone. Technologies like VR and AI help bridge that gap by providing a flexible, immersive learning experience aligned with the curriculum,” said Dr. Tina Scott, Director of Experiential Learning at North Carolina Central University Department of Nursing. “At NCCU, where purpose takes flight, we equip our students with the skills and confidence to excel in this people-focused profession. VR simulation enhances learning, ensuring they feel prepared to care for patients before entering a clinical setting.”

For more information about Wolters Kluwer, please visit: www.wolterskluwer.com

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in information, software solutions and services for professionals in healthcare; tax and accounting; financial and corporate compliance; legal and regulatory; corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2024 annual revenues of €5.9 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 21,600 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

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