University Archives

The development of communication skills, empathy, and emotional intelligence is essential to preparing prelicensure nursing students for high-quality, patient-centered care. These competencies are foundational to therapeutic relationships, culturally responsive practice, and ethical clinical decision-making. However, students require structured, repeated opportunities to practice these skills in psychologically safe, low risk learning environments. This study explores the integration of immersive virtual reality (VR) simulations featuring artificial intelligence (AI) driven virtual patients into undergraduate nursing curricula. The purpose of the project is to examine whether participation in these simulations enhances nursing students’ communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence skills.

Approximately 120 prelicensure nursing students participated in utilizing VR simulations during the 2025-2026 academic year. The VR simulations were embedded in Mental Health Nursing and Fundamentals of Nursing theory courses. Students completed validated pre and post intervention measures assessing self-efficacy in communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence. De-identified aggregate communication performance data captured within the VR platform will also be analyzed across repeated simulation experiences. Quantitative analyses will examine differences between groups, changes over time, and relationships between participant characteristics and outcomes.

This project aligns closely with the mission of the University of Detroit Mercy by advancing student-centered, innovative education grounded in the Jesuit and Mercy traditions of compassion, service, and ethical care, particularly for vulnerable and diverse populations within an urban healthcare context. By offering students a safe, immersive environment to practice emotionally complex patient interactions, VR simulation may foster deeper socio-emotional skill development and professional identity formation. Findings from this study will contribute to the growing body of nursing education literature on educational technology, artificial intelligence, and the intentional cultivation of empathy and emotional intelligence in future healthcare professionals. This project was made possible through generous support from the University of Detroit Mercy Faculty Research Award.