NYU Langone Health Leverages VR for Better Cleaning Standards

NYU Langone Health faced significant challenges in maintaining high professional standards for cleaning hospital rooms while managing a high turnover rate among building services employees. With a large team of over 1,000 staff members responsible for cleaning more than 15,000 hospital rooms daily, the institution required an effective solution to ensure that new hires met the rigorous hygiene standards necessary for patient safety and satisfaction.

To address these challenges, NYU Langone Health partnered with Foretell Reality, a subsidiary of The Glimpse Group, to develop a comprehensive Virtual Reality (VR) training program. This innovative training solution was designed to enhance the onboarding process for new employees and improve the overall effectiveness of the cleaning procedures used within the hospital. The VR program was structured in three progressive tiers: a fully guided initial stage, a semi-guided intermediate stage, and an unassisted advanced stage. This tiered approach allowed employees to progressively build their skills, starting with close guidance and gradually moving towards independent practice.

A key feature of the VR training program was its built-in scoring system, which provided performance metrics to instructors for evaluating trainees’ progress. This system enabled a more objective assessment of each employee’s proficiency in the cleaning process and ensured that they adhered to the 7-Step Cleaning Process developed for maintaining the hospital's high hygiene standards.

The results of implementing the VR training program were highly successful. The new approach reduced the resources required for employee onboarding by 25-75%, compared to traditional methods like shadowing and in-person instruction. Additionally, the VR program led to a 40% reduction in on-the-job errors and a 65% improvement in information retention compared to written training materials. By offering a hands-on, immersive learning experience, the VR training program also provided valuable performance metrics and allowed managers to monitor employee progress more effectively.