Only on CBS2: Queens hospital uses virtual reality technology to help nurses escape stresses of the job
NEW YORK -- Health care workers gave their all during the pandemic, but many are now experiencing burnout.
That's why a Queens hospital is using technology to help nurses escape without leaving work.
Ilya Musheyev has a passion for helping others. So much so, the former barber became a nurse during the pandemic.
"It was definitely tough. It definitely took a toll on everyone here mentally, physically, emotionally. We saw a lot," he told CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis.
He works in a surgical post-op unit at Long Island Jewish Medical Center Forest Hills. It's fast-paced with patients fresh from surgery with varying needs.
"Anytime you have a patient's life, a person's life in your hands, it's a lot of weight on your shoulders," he said.
But thanks to a new technology at the hospital, he can now take a mental break and "escape."
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A pilot program underway at the Queens hospital gives nurses time during their shifts to use a virtual reality headset known as Oculus Quest 2. With a guided meditation program called TRIPP, they're transported to different places, like space, while physically still being here.
"I see the moon. I see a shooting star," Musheyev said after donning his headset. "I'm far from being in a patient room."
"We're hoping that it's gonna address the nurse burnout overall in the department," said Merrill Mathew, director of patient care services at LIJ Forest Hills.
He says the program was brought in post-pandemic to nurture nurses who have been under constant stress.
"Our goal is to hopefully find a way to alleviate that stress and look at a different strategy to create a healthy work environment for them," Mathew said.
It's about helping those who live and work caring for others.
"Being able to take 30 minutes of our time to sit down and meditate, it clears our minds. It actually improves the patient care we provide, as well," Musheyev said.
The hospital is studying the impact of this pilot program, and if successful, it will roll it out to other departments.