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Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center adds virtual reality to nursing education program

Nursing Professional Development Specialist Alex Like demonstrates caring for a virtual patient in a VR simulation exercise at SNVMC’s training center 
virtual nursing education demo

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center (SNVMC) is elevating its nursing education program with the launch of an innovative virtual reality (VR) training platform that immerses nurses in realistic patient-care scenarios. 

This advanced tool enables both new and experienced nurses to sharpen their clinical and communication skills through interactive, real-time simulations.

During a recent demonstration, Nursing Professional Development Specialist Alex Like put on a VR headset in SNVMC’s training center and, within seconds, was transported into a virtual treatment room where a patient was experiencing a medical emergency – a heart attack in this scenario.

The virtual patient reacted and responded just like a real person, even describing symptoms by saying, “I thought it was just gas because I was eating nachos watching a football game on TV.”

All the tools and medications a nurse would find in an actual hospital setting were at Like’s fingertips, and his patient responded to his interventions just as a person would in an actual encounter.

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center VR nurse training

“Our nurses have the opportunity to get firsthand experience dealing with a wide range of clinical situations that they are likely to encounter on the job,” said Nursing and Patient Care Services Manager Ermi Tisak.

“It gives both new nurses and our seasoned nurses an opportunity to practice their clinical skills in a safe, controlled setting, allowing them to see how their clinical interventions impact patient outcomes in real time.”

Virtual reality training promotes strong clinical judgment by offering lifelike scenarios that require critical thinking, rapid assessment, and effective communication.

“Through these virtual simulations, our nurses can build confidence, adapt to emergent situations, and refine the skills necessary for high-quality patient care,” said SNVMC President Jeff Joyner. “We are proud to be the first Sentara hospital to have this virtual reality technology in place.”

Benefits of virtual reality training for nursing education:

  1. Hands-on practice without risk: Virtual reality provides a safe, controlled environment for nurses to practice procedures and decision-making with no risk to patients.

  1. Enhanced learning through immersion: Visual and interactive simulations deepen understanding and improve knowledge retention compared to traditional methods.

  1. Realistic scenarios for critical thinking: Virtual reality recreates complex, high-pressure clinical situations – such as medical emergencies – to build confidence and sharpen critical thinking.

  1. Immediate feedback and skill assessment: Learners receive real-time feedback, accelerating competency development.

  1. Accessible and repeatable training: Scenarios can be repeated as often as needed without resource limitations, supporting continuous improvement.


“Our team is so excited to have our new VR system," said SNVMC Chief Nursing Officer Christy Grabus. "We are introducing the training with our nurses and will soon expand to include all clinicians. We are proud to invest in our team with this wonderful resource. It’s another great example of what makes us a Magnet with Distinction organization."

The new VR system was made possible through grant funding from the Potomac Health Foundation, provided for the support of professional training tools and programs that strengthen patient care at SNVMC.