#11: Virtual reality training for CNAs caring for patients with dementia (Gold Student Summer Fellowship series)

In this next conversation in our Gold Student Summer Fellows series, Gold Assistant Director of Program Initiatives Michelle Sloane interviews Johanna Balas, who is a 2022 Gold Student Summer Fellow and a medical student at the Rush University. Her service project, titled "Implementing a Virtual Reality Training Program for CNAs Providing Care for Persons with Dementia," integrated a virtual reality (VR)-based online and in-person hybrid curriculum in the training of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) at a nonprofit organization offering memory care and long-term skilled nursing for older adults. More than 50% of residents in long-term care facilities have some form of dementia or cognitive impairment.

The Gold Connection is produced by the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a program of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, a nonprofit that champions humanism in healthcare. On this podcast, we share stories of humanism in action, as well as tools and lessons for students, clinicians, and leaders.