Kelly Thorstad, MSc(A)N PHCNP, Nurse Executive, Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Canada

Mrs. Kelly Thorstad welcomes attendees to the VR workshop. Kelly highlights the commitment to integrating Indigenous virtual reality (VR) work into clinical practice, the dedication of the nursing research team and collaborators in advancing care for children facing painful procedures and anxiety.

• Watch the presentation recording.

Argerie Tsimicalis, RN PhD, Associate Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University

Dr. Argerie Tsimicalis shares preliminary findings from a survey assessing the readiness of healthcare professionals across Quebec in using VR in their practice settings. Dr. Tsimicalis discusses the challenges and opportunities of integrating VR into healthcare, sharing the VR journey at Shriners Hospital, from initial studies to establishing a VR Council. She outlines ongoing efforts to mobilize knowledge and resources for widespread adoption of VR technology in children's healthcare.

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• Download the presentation slides.

Sylvie Le May, RN PhD, Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal

• Presentation recording and slides coming soon.

Stéphane Bouchard, PhD, Psychoeducation and Psychology Department, University of Québec in Outaouais

Dr. Stéphane Bouchard discusses his pioneering work using virtual reality (VR) for treating anxiety and other mental disorders. He shares insights from studies on VR's effectiveness for various phobias, stuttering, and pain management, emphasizing the need for rigorous scientific approaches and collaboration among researchers. He highlights challenges in clinical integration and the importance of clinical needs driving VR development over commercial interests.

• Watch the presentation recording.
• Download the presentation slides.

Alab Aguila, patient representative, Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Canada

Alab, 11-year old patient at the Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Canada with osteogenesis imperfecta, shares a heartfelt testimonial about his journey with needles at the hospital, starting from infancy. Despite initial fear, VR technology changed his perspective, immersing him in a world of gaming during treatments. Now, he's passionate about sharing this transformative experience with others, eager to help children facing similar challenges.

• Watch the presentation recording.

Various companies, researchers, clinicians, and trainees.

During our booth and poster session, we hosted a diverse array of VR companies, researchers, and healthcare professionals to showcase their groundbreaking work in VR. Participants tried immersive experiences with various VR software offerings.

• Watch the playlist here and check out the resources here.

Various companies, researchers, clinicians, and trainees.

We featured poster presentations from our talented students.

• Collaborative Creation of a Podcast to Promote the Implementation of Virtual Reality in Children's Health Care.

Authors: Jessica Ding, Sofia Addab, Alisha Michalovic, & Argerie Tsimicalis​

• The Feasibility and Clinical Utility of the Use of Virtual Reality (VR) for the Management of Pediatric Dental Anxiety​.

Authors: Aynaz Khodayari, Rahaf Althagafy, Edwin Chan, Argerie Tsimicalis, & Beatriz Ferraz dos Santos​

• The Use of Virtual Reality for Induction of Anesthesia in a Pediatric Setting: A Mixed Methods Pilot Feasibility Study​.

Authors: Yu Tong Huang, Sofia Addab, Gianluca Bertolizio, Reggie Hamdy, Kelly Thorstad, & Argerie Tsimicalis ​

• Use of Virtual Reality for Dental Fear and Anxiety: A Pilot Study​.

Authors: Le May S, Wu W, Ouimet P, Gardner J, Guingo, E, Sylfra A, Vu, AK, & Asselin M-E​

• Virtual Reality for Pain and Anxiety Management During Botulinum Toxin (BoNT) Injections in Children With Medical Complexity: Protocol for a Pre-Post, Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study​.

Authors: Raíssa Passos dos Santos, Sylvie Le May, Muriel Haziza, Sofia Addab, Pascale Ouimet, Kate St-Arneault, Julien Gardner, Argerie Tsimicalis, & Camille K. Costa​

Guillaume Fontaine, RN PhD, Assistant Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University

Dr. Guillaume Fontaine provides an overview of implementation science and shares insights on leveraging implementation methodologies to bring evidence-based practices, like VR, into healthcare settings. Dr. Fontaine outlines key principles, barriers, and strategies for successful implementation, emphasizing the importance of context and stakeholder involvement, with a focus on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify and address barriers and facilitators.

• Watch the presentation recording.
• Download the presentation slides.
• Download the implementation planning tool.
• Follow along Dr. Fontaine's presentation and complete the implementation survey

Jacqueline Chow, RN, Patient Partner, BNI Student (U2), Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University

Jacqueline Chow closes the VR workshop by sharing her journey with Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome, also known as juvenile fibromyalgia. She recounts her struggles with chronic pain from a young age and the impact on her daily life. Jacqueline shows the importance of understanding and managing chronic pain holistically, highlighting tools like distraction and virtual reality.

• Watch the presentation recording.