Aspirus and Northcentral Technical College (NTC) are working together to bring immersive reality technology into healthcare education. This partnership is giving students a chance to experience clinical scenarios like never before, helping them feel more prepared for real-world challenges. NTC’s new Simulation Center features an immersive room funded by the Health 4.0 grant.

“With immersive reality, we can create scenarios students might not encounter during traditional training,” said Reed Champagne, NTC’s Manager of Education Technology. “We change the room’s background, add sounds, and even smells to mimic real clinical settings. It gives students a much deeper understanding than they would get from just sitting in a classroom.”

Employees, like Aspirus Wausau Hospital Nurse Technician and student Aspen Gunnlaugsson, are already seeing the benefits.

“The realistic structure is so like clinical settings. It’s helped me feel more confident in my skills and ready for patient care,” Aspen shared. She also noted that the immersive technology made it easier to refresh her knowledge after taking time off, which prepared her for clinical rotations.

The immersive room also allows students to tackle complex scenarios that they might not experience during their training. “We can’t guarantee students will see every type of case in real life, but this technology helps fill those gaps,” Champagne explained. He added that by integrating sounds, visuals, and even smells, students are better prepared to respond effectively to various situations when they enter the workforce. This collaboration helps strengthen the community by ensuring future healthcare professionals are better trained to deliver high-quality care. Students gain more hands-on experience, which ultimately improves patient outcomes and ensures that local healthcare providers are ready to meet the needs of an ever-changing population.

This partnership between Aspirus and NTC demonstrates the power of combining innovation with education to support both students and the communities they will serve.