Pictured Above: SIDTG team and VR Project
Difficult conversations are an important part of healthcare supervision, but knowing how to approach them can be challenging.
A new virtual reality (VR) program developed through a partnership between the University Department of Rural Health South West (UDRH SW) and Edith Cowan University’s Simulation and Immersive Digital Technologies Group (SIDTG) aims to help supervisors navigate these conversations with greater confidence.
Nurturing Supervision Conversations was developed in response to feedback from supervisors who wanted support in managing challenging discussions with students, particularly when a student was underperforming.
The project began in September 2025, with final handover completed on 9 October 2026. It forms part of UDRH SW’s broader multidisciplinary simulation program, delivered through the South West in a mobile simulation van.
Working with experiences shared by UDRH SW staff, the development team created simulated scenarios that allow supervisors to practice conversations with virtual students. Scenarios include students who are overconfident or underconfident, helping supervisors consider different approaches to supporting student learning and development.
The immersive experience allows supervisors to engage directly with a virtual student in a realistic conversation. At the end of the session, participants receive feedback on their communication and supervision practices, areas for reflection and opportunities for improvement. A full conversation transcript is also provided to support more in-depth reflection and learning.
The project brought together UDRH SW staff members Ari Aldus, Dr Abigail Lewis, Camilla Culnane and Rob Della Franca with SIDTG team members Dr Brennan Mills, Associate Professor Alex Rassau, Wyatt De Souza, Dr Franco Hildalgo Herencia, Chathitha Jayaweera and Kyle Bartlett.
By providing a safe space to practise challenging conversations, Nurturing Supervision Conversations aims to strengthen supervisors’ communication skills and confidence, supporting more positive supervision experiences and safer, better-supported student placements across the South West.
UDRH SW is continuing to explore how simulation and immersive technologies can support healthcare education and professional development.
Future VR projects include a healthcare careers experience for high school students and NextWorld, which will focus on soft skills for healthcare supervisors and university students.
UDRH SW has also obtained access to IVADE, a virtual reality training tool designed to help healthcare students and clinicians practise de-escalation and respond to aggression and violence. Used in multiple locations across Australia, IVADE provides another opportunity to prepare frontline healthcare workers for challenging clinical situations.
Through these initiatives, UDRH SW is investing in innovative learning approaches that build confidence, strengthen professional skills and contribute to a supported rural health workforce. The initiatives deliver on the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Aging’s commitment to strengthen the rural health workforce through improved education and training opportunities in regional and rural communities.
