Summary:

In this episode of Simulation Pulse, Jon Brouchoud and Rick are joined by Shinang Yang, the VR technician at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) in Wisconsin. Shinang shares his journey of stepping into a brand-new role with virtually no prior VR experience, building familiarity with the Meta Quest 3 and Acadicus on his own time, and learning to run nursing simulation scenarios independently. With support from Rick through Acadicus Assist and from colleague Theresa, Shinang transformed an unfamiliar technology into an engaging learning tool for nursing students.

Shinang walks through his hands-on work customizing the OpenRN alcohol withdrawal scenario—modifying the CIWA assessment document so students can circle severity scores, adding markers to encourage documentation, swapping in a male patient character, and using toggle features to adjust patient vitals on the fly. He also discusses roleplaying patients in “ghost mode,” exploring voice-changing software for upcoming OB scenarios, and expanding VR across nursing semesters. This episode is a candid, encouraging look at what it takes to launch a VR lab from scratch and grow it through community support, faculty collaboration, and continuous iteration.

Episode Highlights:

• Onboarding from Zero: Shinang went from having touched almost no VR (just a bit of Beat Saber) to independently running nursing scenarios—underscoring the value of taking a headset home and getting comfortable with the controllers before facilitating, much like learning the mouse through Solitaire.
• Customizing OpenRN Scenarios: Hear how Shinang modified the alcohol withdrawal scenario—turning the CIWA questions into a circle-able severity scale, adding markers so students document their scoring, and tailoring the experience to CVTC’s learning objectives. The OpenRN scenarios, developed through a Department of Education grant led by CVTC’s Kim Ernstmeyer, are open-source and fully editable.
• The Sandbox Model in Action: Rather than locked, pre-programmed experiences, Acadicus gives technicians and instructors the tools to build, swap assets, adjust patient vitals via toggles, and change scenarios in real time—preserving the craft and creativity of traditional simulation.
• Roleplaying in Ghost Mode: Shinang voices and “puppets” the patient invisibly while students interact, controlling head movement, posture, and actions to create a convincing, responsive real-time scenario. He’s also exploring voice-changing software to roleplay female patients in upcoming OB cases.
• Measurable Engagement & Growth: Having taken roughly 70–75 students through the lab, Shinang reports strong student enthusiasm and a real-life feel. Positive feedback from third-semester instructors organically attracted fourth-semester faculty, who initiated a new OpenRN placental abruption (OB) scenario.
• Scaling Across Semesters: CVTC currently starts students in their third semester, with discussions underway to introduce VR in the first semester so students build comfort and foundations early and carry the skills through graduation.
• A First-Year Lab Setup: In its first semester of operation, CVTC’s VR lab houses seven headset stations (four along one wall, two smaller stations, plus the technician’s desk), demonstrating that programs don’t need an enormous space to get started.
• Community & Support: Shinang emphasizes the role of Acadicus Assist—Rick, lead developer Sean Bliss, and the broader simulation community—in onboarding new technicians, helping run scenarios, and connecting programs across Wisconsin to share and co-run open scenarios.