Virtual Reality as a Tool to Promote Wellbeing in the Workplace

Jai Shree Adhyaru(1), Charlotte Kemp(2)

(1)Grenfell Health & Wellbeing Service, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust , St Charles Centre for Health & Wellbeing, London
(2)The FRED Company.

Introduction
NHS staff are disproportionately impacted by workplace stress, impacting the quality of service delivery and sustainability of this vital healthcare system. As the largest employer in England, the NHS has the potential to serve as a role model in workplace health and currently offers a range of wellbeing initiatives, some of which are difficult to implement due to the commitment, equipment and time required for participation. Virtual Reality (VR) provides an alternative modality, worthy of consideration as a wellbeing intervention for healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a short VR relaxation experience on the emotional state and heart rate of NHS clinicians and to seek feedback on how acceptable and feasible this modality was for healthcare staff with varying degrees of technological competency.

Methods
39 NHS clinicians working in a fast-paced trauma service took part in an immersive virtual reality (VR) relaxation session, during their working day. Objective indicators of physiological arousal (heart rate) and subjective reports of emotional state were employed to assess the effect of the intervention on relaxation. Further self-reported and qualitative feedback pertained to prior experience with technology, trait mindfulness, sense of presence and perceived acceptability and feasibility of the intervention.

Results and discussion
Following the VR experience, self reported measures of affect revealed a significant increase in positive emotional states (happiness and relaxation) and significant reduction in negative emotional states (sadness, anger and anxiety). Qualitative feedback from participants indicated that they would welcome this type of experience as a regular part of their work day, reporting increases in relaxation and calmness and also prompted many to reflect on their overall wellbeing at work as well as outside of work.

Conclusions
Exposure to a short VR relaxation experience of nature, administered during the workday was found to have significant benefits on the majority of NHS clinicians who found it easy to use. This pilot study points to the potential benefits of VR in workplace wellbeing that could have far reaching implications for a range of staff across a variety of organisations with the ultimate goal of improving patient experience by supporting and retaining a healthy workforce.