Under Pressure: A Design to Reduce Blood Pressure Reading Errors by Clinical Staff with Virtual Reality Training

Abstract

Accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement is an important yet frequently improperly handled clinical skill. Research from the American Heart Association and American Medical Association indicate widespread errors, such as improper cuff selection, insufficient rest time, and poor arm positioning, that can lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. As a solution to address these performance gaps, this poster session presents Under Pressure, a virtual reality (VR) training module designed for nurses, physician assistants, medical assistants, and students in healthcare settings.  With a foundation in design thinking and adult learning theories, this module provides learners with a process-based, scenario-based practice that focuses on following set guidelines while providing immediate feedback in a risk-free environment. Prototype activities include enforcing a patient rest period with an on-screen timer, selecting appropriate cuffs from a virtual cabinet, and positioning the cuff correctly on a patient avatar. These activities engage cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains by combining knowledge reinforcement, confidence-building, and hands-on skill practice. Evaluations include standardized reproducible scenarios, automated performance logging, expert validation, and comparative studies with traditional training methods to establish reliability and construct validity. By leveraging VR’s affordances for embodied, repeatable, and culturally responsive practice, this work contributes to immersive healthcare education by reducing preventable BP measurement errors and strengthening workforce readiness.