Making VR violence training mandatory for nursing students

In partnership with Sydney-based immersive learning company Start Beyond and informed by WHS and psychosocial risk specialists The Risk Collective, UTS has announced plans to make immersive virtual reality training in aggression and violence prevention mandatory for all its first-year nursing students before they begin clinical placements. The program is designed to help students learn to recognise aggressive behaviours, make decisions under pressure and practise de-escalation techniques in a safe, virtual environment, using VR headsets that place students inside realistic healthcare situations.

Image: Supplied

“We’ve seen enough evidence of violence against nurses to know we must give students practical strategies to recognise escalating situations and keep themselves safe before they encounter such threats in the real world,” said Professor Jacqui Pich, Deputy Head of School (Teaching and Learning) in the UTS School of Nursing & Midwifery. “Traditional teaching methods can only go so far, whereas VR creates a much more immersive learning experience, while ensuring our students’ physical and psychological safety.”

Professor Jacqui Pich. Image: Supplied

The training, which will be embedded into the UTS nursing curriculum from next year, will see more than 600 new nursing students complete the program before entering a clinical setting. The university’s decision follows a successful pilot in which 90% of participants said the simulation was useful in helping them identify early warning signs and take appropriate action to de-escalate and stay safe.

“The power of VR is that it can make people feel something,” Start Beyond CEO Angus Stevens said. “When people feel something, they remember it. When they remember it, they learn from it.” Stevens added: “Healthcare professionals often do their invaluable work in high-stress environments in which they are exposed to unpredictable situations that can escalate rapidly to become dangerous. Our training uses VR to recreate that complexity and emotional intensity in a safe environment where students can practise, make mistakes and build confidence.”

Angus Stevens. Image: Supplied

According to Amy Towers, Founder & Principal Consultant at The Risk Collective, the training scenarios were grounded in behavioural research and real-world workplace data. “We analysed common patterns of aggressive behaviour across multiple sectors, including health care, aged care, retail and hospitality. The goal was to help people recognise behaviours before situations escalate. The scenarios are designed around evidence-based behavioural profiles and de-escalation strategies. The training we developed with Start Beyond gives participants practical skills they can apply in high-pressure situations while reducing the emotional and physical risks associated with learning those lessons in real life.”

The announcement followed the results of a recent NSW Nurses and Midwives Association survey that found 88% of nurses, midwives and carers have witnessed violence or aggression at work.¹

^{1. https://www.nswnma.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8BOccupational-Violence-Report-2026.pdf}

Top image caption: MINACA VR healthcare setting screenshot. Image: Supplied