How VR could help bring more paramedics to Sask.
In an effort to reach more prospective candidates, the Saskatchewan College of Paramedics (SCoP) announced a partnership with Luxsonic Technologies to use virtual reality technology to assess the skills of paramedics abroad looking to Saskatchewan for employment.
“One of our imminent challenges is that we have a higher vacancy rate than we have available paramedics in this province,” said Jacquie Messer-Lepage, executive director of SCoP. “Especially in rural and remote communities, the issue of recruitment and retention is challenging for them.”
This month SCoP received $800,000 in funding from Employment and Social Development Canada for a project that uses virtual reality to assess skills of internationally educated applicants seeking to come to Saskatchewan. The VR technology allows SCoP to run applicants through virtual scenarios, testing their competency and skills from afar, rather than in-person.
“They might be coming across a patient in a parking lot and they go over and they have to do a sternum rub,” Messer-Lepage said. “At certain points in the scenario they may be asked certain questions as well, ‘what do you believe your prelim diagnosis is, how do you proceed from here?’”
With the additional support of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Immigration and Career Training, the overarching objective of the Virtual Assessment for Paramedic Occupational Competency (VAPOC) project is to develop web-based immersive technology tools.
Luxsonic Technologies Inc., in Saskatoon was awarded the contract and will now work with SCoP to develop the virtual reality scenarios over the next 30 months before the virtual recruitment tool is launched.
“We’re very excited to be working with SCoP on this innovative project. Remote assessment of hands-on clinical skills is a very challenging problem, one that isn’t easily solved using traditional technology,” said Mike Wesolowski, CEO of Luxsonic Technologies in a news release. “VAPOC will be the first of its kind VR-based occupational competency assessment and we look forward to seeing it used by paramedic regulators across Canada.”
Thus far an intubation scenario is nearing completion, and Messer-Lepage hopes to have a wide variety of scenarios ready in 30 months to test and recruit paramedics to Saskatchewan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion, 1 person seriously injured: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.