Fitchburg State University Nursing Students Benefit from Cutting-Edge AR Technology Grants

Fitchburg State University is revolutionizing nursing education with the introduction of cutting-edge augmented reality technology. Thanks to generous grants from the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Charitable Foundation and the George I. Alden Trust, nursing students and faculty will now have access to state-of-the-art AR headsets from Gig XR.

The Marieb Foundation, founded by Fitchburg State graduate Elaine Marieb, a renowned nurse and textbook author, has provided funding for the university to invest in Gig XR’s holographic healthcare training platform. This platform allows students and faculty to interact with lifelike virtual patients in augmented reality, providing a realistic and immersive learning experience.

Associate Professor Deborah Benes, chair of Fitchburg State’s Nursing Department, expressed excitement about the opportunities this technology will provide for students. “We’re giving our students the opportunity to work with equipment they never would have seen before that’s being used in the workforce right now,” she said.

Nursing students Kaleigh Visbaras and Ryan Aker, along with game design student James Livingstone, will be working together to create new scenarios for nurses in training using the Gig XR technology. Visbaras, a senior from Somerset, praised the intuitive interface of the AR headsets and predicted that the technology will greatly enhance the learning experience for visual learners.

Aker, a senior from Templeton and a non-traditional student with a background in the military, also sees the potential of the technology to enhance learning and patient care. He believes that the AR simulations will provide students with valuable hands-on experience and help them build a strong foundation in nursing.

Livingstone, the game design student working on creating simulations, is confident that the interdisciplinary skills he is developing through this project will benefit him in his future career. The collaboration between nursing and game design students highlights the innovative approach Fitchburg State is taking to prepare its nursing graduates for success in the healthcare industry.

With the support of the Marieb Foundation and the Alden Trust, Fitchburg State University is leading the way in integrating augmented reality technology into nursing education. The future looks bright for nursing students at Fitchburg State as they embark on this exciting journey of learning and innovation.