SMARTLY – Smart glasses supporting healthcare education, development and sharing of know how

We promote the use of digital solutions in the orientation and development of the skills of the nursing staff

Project duration

1.1.2023. – 31.12.2025

Source of funding

Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Häme (ESR+)

Total funding

300 365 €

In this project, the purpose is to promote the use of digital solutions in orientation and the development of one’s own skills, and at the same time to improve the quality of nursing work, the nurses’ ability to work and their well-being at work. The competence of the employees is promoted with the orientation packages created in the project, which contain the videos of real nursing situations from the author’s point of view produced by using smart glasses.

The project will increase the knowledge of nursing professionals in the use of digital methods in orientation and competence development. This is implemented by training staff in healthcare organizations to use augmented reality methods.

New methods for learning clinical skills

In addition to the development of working life, the project aims to develop digital methods for teaching clinical skills and independent practice to nursing students. The Covid-19 pandemic showed that traditional online learning methods were not able to successfully teach clinical skills. The goal is achieved with the virtual study modules created in the project, which contain the videos of real nursing situations from the author’s point of view produced by using smart glasses.

Restrictions, illnesses, and quarantine also made it difficult for students to progress in studies that required a lot of practice in clinical skills if practice workshops and physical presence in the school were not possible. Even as the pandemic eases, a variety of reasons prevent students from attending workshops, so the problem of study progress is not receding.

The aim of the project is to increase flexibility for students to practice clinical skills and to advance their studies by developing alternative methods that take advantage of digitality and are independent of time and place.

Six work packages

The Work packages of the project:

Package 1: Project management and communication
Package 2: Making and deploying videos and orientation packs using smart glasses
Package 3: Virtual instructions for building Microsoft HoloLens 2 smart glasses and instructions for deployment
Package 4: Training in digital methods for health care professionals and health care students and teachers
Package 5: Production of 1 credit Massive open online courses
Package 6: Project evaluation