PedXR: Extended Reality Learning Environment for Paediatric Nursing
Within the international PedXR project, we are developing, implementing, and validating an innovative curriculum for higher education. We are integrating Extended Reality (XR) technologies specifically for nursing students, with a primary focus on paediatric nursing.
What does the PedXR project entail?
PedXR addresses current challenges faced by paediatric nursing students in higher education by developing innovative learning tools that integrate the capabilities of Extended Reality into the existing curriculum. Specifically, we are creating a curriculum framework that combines learning objectives, syllabi, methods, assessments, and a concrete Extended Reality application.
The expertise of Thomas More: Nursing Lier and Mobilab & Care
In our search for ways to encourage individual students to develop clinical reasoning, we have launched a pilot project at the Lier campus where students can experience a 360° nursing environment. This environment can be accessed using VR goggles. Within this digital space, students find information that challenges them to reason and decide how to manage a specific patient or case. This allows them to safely make diagnoses, take action, and receive immediate feedback. We also use this tool to inform students in other ways, such as preparing them for simulation rooms or guiding them through our campus. Building on this experience, the goal is to continue this trajectory and find applications specifically focused on clinical reasoning within childcare and paediatrics.
Within this project, the Nursing programme in Lier works closely with the Mobilab & Care research group. Our focus lies on collecting, exchanging, and analysing international best practices across Europe. Thomas More possesses extensive knowledge of Virtual Reality in higher education, specifically aimed at developing critical thinking and clinical reasoning within XR.
Objective: Strengthening Clinical Reasoning via Extended Reality
The project aims to develop a high-quality learning tool that utilises Extended Reality (XR) to enhance the learning outcomes of paediatric nursing students. Simultaneously, it addresses existing educational challenges within paediatric nursing programmes in higher education.
Results: Innovative XR Learning Tools and Guidelines
- 360° Virtuele Leeromgeving: Een innovatieve toepassing die het klinisch redeneren versterkt door studenten te laten oefenen in een veilige en realistische context.
- Directe Feedback: Studenten leren sneller door directe reflectie op hun besluitvorming en verpleegkundige handelingen.
- Implementatierichtlijnen: We ontwikkelen kaders die onderwijsinstellingen ondersteunen bij de integratie van XR in hun curricula.
PeDXR in the spotlight at the PNAE congress in Paris
On Friday, June 12, 2026, Katrin De Winter presented the Erasmus+ project PeDXR during a plenary session at the Paediatric Nursing Associations of Europe (PNAE) congress in Paris.
Katrin is a lecturer in neonatology and coordinator of the postgraduate programs focusing on pediatrics and neonatology at Thomas More. Within PeDXR, she is responsible for the local coordination of the project in Belgium.
During her presentation, Katrin explained how Extended Reality, and specifically Virtual Reality, can be integrated into pediatric nursing education. Within PeDXR, interactive VR scenarios are being developed that allow students to practice clinical situations in a safe and controlled learning environment. This enables them to further develop their clinical reasoning, technical skills, and communication with children and parents, among other things. In addition to the plenary session, Katrin and the PeDXR team facilitated three interactive workshops.
During these workshops, participants had the opportunity to try out the VR headsets themselves and test the developed scenarios hands-on. This provided them with direct experience of the possibilities Virtual Reality offers in the education and training of pediatric nurses. The development process and initial experiences from the pilot sessions were also discussed. Students responded positively to the opportunity to practice realistic pediatric care situations in an interactive manner. At the same time, their experiences provided valuable feedback for further technical and pedagogical refinement of the scenarios.
The plenary session and workshops offered a great opportunity to present PeDXR to an international audience of pediatric nurses, educators, researchers, and policymakers. In this way, Thomas More contributes to the further development of innovative, forward-looking, and high-quality education for pediatric nurses in Europe.
Images of PeDXR during the PNAE congress in Paris
First Pilot: Implementation of PedXR VR Scenarios at Campus Lier
As part of the project, an initial pilot was conducted to evaluate the educational value and user experience of the VR simulations. Approximately 40 third-year Bachelor of Nursing students participated in the sessions on 23 February and 4 March 2026.
Structure of the Pilot
Each session followed a fixed structure to ensure the collection of reliable research data:
- Introduction to the PedXR project, including educational objectives and the research context.
- Data collection information, explaining how gathered data is used for research and development.
- Briefing on potential discomfort during VR use, such as motion sickness or visual fatigue.
- Pre- and post-knowledge assessments to evaluate learning outcomes.
- A brief theoretical session related to the clinical content of the VR scenario.
- Practical guidance on using the VR equipment prior to the simulation.
Experiences with the VR Scenarios
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Students found applying the Glasgow Coma Scale within a realistic case study to be highly educational. A second scenario regarding the insertion of a peripheral intravenous catheter proved more challenging due to the fine motor skills required in the virtual environment. This valuable feedback helps the team further refine the scenarios for future use.
Images from the first PedXR pilot sessions at Campus Lier
Bert Bonroy
Fascinated by how technology can support care today and tomorrow.