VR gloves boost nurse skills, but not bedside manner

This study tested whether virtual reality training with haptic gloves could improve intensive care nurses' ability to perform suctioning (clearing a patient's airway) and their overall care behaviors. Sixty nurses were split into two groups: one used VR with haptic gloves, the other used standard mannequin training. The VR group showed better suctioning skills, but there was no difference in caregiving behavior scores between the groups. The findings suggest VR is useful for technical training, but changing how nurses interact with patients may need longer or repeated education.