Extended Reality in Health Care Simulation: Current State, Challenges, and Future Directions.

BACKGROUND

Extended reality (XR) technologies are increasingly integrated into health care simulations. XR enables immersive, interactive, and multisensory learning experiences that enhance skill acquisition, knowledge retention, and interprofessional collaboration.

PROBLEM: Despite growing interest, educators should address challenges, such as cognitive load management, inconsistent standards, accessibility barriers, and cost-effectiveness, to optimize the potential of XR.

APPROACH: The authors in this Technology Overview synthesize evidence and provide expert discussion to explore the current state, challenges, and future directions of XR.

OUTCOMES: The resulting recommendations highlight best practices in XR integration, including guidance on modality selection, curricular alignment, strategies to minimize cognitive overload, and future trends.

CONCLUSIONS

XR has the potential to enhance nursing and health care education by supporting immersive, scalable, and learner-centered experiences. The future of XR depends on strategic efforts to enhance realism, usability, and integration. Priorities include intuitive design, adaptive artificial intelligence, advanced haptics, cost-effectiveness, and improved accessibility to support learning.