AI-Powered Virtual Reality Simulation for Clinical Handover Training

BACKGROUND: Clinical handover is critical for patient safety in nursing; however, traditional methods often lack immersion, realism, and personalized feedback, which hinders effective student training. PROBLEM: Nurse educators face technical challenges and limited practical guidance when integrating generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and virtual reality (VR) into handover education. APPROACH: This article shares our developmental framework for integration, consisting of a 3-layer architecture: system (ChatGPT integration for adaptive responses), interaction (gamification interface), and presentation (immersive VR with Identification, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation [ISBAR]-based AI avatars modeled after actual instructors). RESULTS: Pilot testing with undergraduate students showed enhanced authenticity through real-person avatars and real-time ISBAR feedback, with challenges in nonverbal synchronization identified for future improvements. CONCLUSIONS: This developmental framework and implementation checklist provide nursing educators with systematic guidance for deploying AI-VR technology in clinical handover training, positioning nursing education at the forefront of pedagogical innovation.