Mobile virtual reality (VR) devices are reshaping the way the healthcare industry is training doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. Although still in its infancy in terms of usefulness, virtual reality training is producing real-world benefits. Recently Miami Children’s Hospital teamed up with augmented and virtual reality company Next Galaxy Corp to develop virtual reality training programs for procedures like CPR, nasal gastric tube insertion, catheter insertion, intubation, starting an IV, and other scenarios. “The level of understanding through VR is great because humans are primarily visual and VR is a visual format,” Dr. Narendra Kini, CEO at Miami Children’s Hospital, says. “We believe that there are numerous opportunities where repetitive training and skill set maintenance are critical for outcomes. Since there are not enough patients in many cases to maintain these skill sets, virtual reality is a real addition to the arsenal. Imagine also scenarios where we need to practice for accreditation . . . or compliance. In these situations virtual reality is a god-send.” She adds that the retention level a year after a virtual reality training session could be as much as 80 percent, compared with the 20 percent retention rate of traditional training methods.