Can virtual simulations reduce hidden bias in nursing?
NCT ID NCT07095335
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a training program called A-CHARM helps nursing students and clinical faculty recognize and address racism and hidden bias in hospital settings. Participants complete an education session and a virtual simulation, then fill out questionnaires to measure changes in cultural humility and awareness. The goal is to see if this approach is acceptable, usable, and effective in promoting more equitable care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- education intervention A-CHARM (didactic education plus virtual simulation)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this training could become a model for reducing bias and improving cultural humility in healthcare education.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage, single-site study with no control group, so results may not apply broadly. The training's real-world impact on patient care is not yet measured.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 450 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * undergraduate and graduate nursing students at a University in Southern Ontario * clinical faculty at a University in Southern Ontario * speak, read and understand English. * able to navigate a virtual simulation experience using an electronic device. Exclusion Criteria: * students not enrolled in the nursing program * faculty not teaching in the nursing program
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario, K7L 2N6, Canada
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