Everest simulation, immersive exercises enhance engagement, retention for professionals aiming to refine leadership abilities

You have become part of an ascent team aiming to reach the peak of the tallest mountain on the planet. The climbing crew is grappling with whether to forge ahead as they confront illness and harsh weather. The group deliberates on alternatives, leaving the ultimate choice in your hands: Do you stay with the unwell companion, or continue onward to the summit?

In the Leadership for Healthcare Professionals open online course series, this situation is brought to life through an intricate video presentation, made possible through a partnership with the Center for Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan.

Supported by their knowledge, Nursing School faculty members Michelle Aebersold and Barbara Medvec replicated an Everest expedition—an exercise they have employed in face-to-face classes—to immerse participants in a demanding and novel context.

The setting features vibrant yellow and red tents, roaring winds, and snow-blanketed rocks. This Mount Everest extended reality project attracts health care professionals as they tackle leadership obstacles on the virtual pinnacle.

“Nurses inherently drive innovation because they don’t always have every resource at hand,” stated Medvec, clinical associate professor at the Nursing School. “Hence, they engage in critical thinking. They consider the entire patient, the overall circumstance, and how they can deliver results creatively.”

Interactive learning advantages health care students

The Leadership for Healthcare Professionals series encompasses various immersive activities aimed at imparting critical thinking, effective communication, and quality enhancement to health care practitioners pursuing leadership development.

Recognizing the numerous advantages of interactive learning, Medvec and Aebersold designed their initial massive open online course with a significant array of activities for health care learners.

“When we evaluate effective patient care, learning by rote memorization isn’t the optimal approach. Engaged learning, however, is,” remarked Aebersold, clinical professor at the Nursing School and clinical associate professor at the School of Information.

By leveraging the center’s knowledge in XR, generative AI, and virtual production, they crafted a distinctive and engaging learning experience. Medvec and Aebersold acknowledged that creating simulations and virtual tasks can be intimidating. Nevertheless, their collaboration with the center’s team allowed them to swiftly actualize their vision, designing captivating scenarios that link learners more effectively to the course content than traditional lectures.

Simulations create a secure environment for learning

Engaged learning is not only dynamic but also permits students to implement newly acquired knowledge in a risk-free environment, where they can err and gain insights from those occurrences.

For instance, in the second course of the series, participants are assigned the task of redesigning a hospital room to enhance the experience for patients and their families. This task wouldn’t be feasible in real-world conditions, but an interactive simulation allows students to experiment with various layouts.

The third course in the series introduces Lean and Six Sigma principles, focusing on minimizing waste and boosting efficiency through an activity where learners have five minutes to reconstruct Mr. Potato Head toys that were involved in a fictional bus accident.

“Simulation represents a key advantage for us because you can utilize immersive technology and find yourself in the scenario,” Medvec stated. “You can rehearse how you will respond in that environment and navigate it in a highly professional, competent, and comfortable manner.”

This skill set is often not addressed in clinical training, but the necessity of learning how to make quick, effective, and precise decisions has grown in today’s healthcare landscape. Instructors provide diverse simulations and tasks for online participants to underscore essential leadership principles and meet the needs of nurses and health care professionals who seek impactful education that accommodates a busy lifestyle.

“I believe our learners are somewhat more selective,” Aebersold noted. “They are eager for knowledge and wish to pursue these fields but lack access or the ability to commit to a full master’s program.”

The Leadership for Healthcare Professionals series is accessible on Coursera, with U-M students, faculty, staff, and alumni eligible to enroll for free through Michigan Online.