How virtual reality is helping Pictou County’s physician recruitment efforts

In the heart of Nova Scotia, Pictou County is rewriting the script on healthcare recruitment with an innovative approach that blends community spirit and cutting-edge technology.

Established in 2018, Healthy Pictou County is a community grassroots organization focused on attraction, retention and support for students in the healthcare sector. They work alongside Nova Scotia Health, providing community support, marketing tools and resources to help make Pictou County a destination for healthcare professionals. For its latest initiative, Healthy Pictou County joined forces with BRAEVR Media, a New Glasgow-based virtual reality production company, to introduce an interactive virtual reality (VR) tool to their toolbox, providing an immersive experience for potential recruits.

"We're competing with every community across the province, across Canada, anywhere. So a tool like this really gives us a chance to stand out,” said Nicole LeBlanc, a project navigator with Healthy Pictou County.

"It really gives that polish and something really unexpected, especially in a rural community."

The VR project is the first of its kind for Nova Scotia. It was funded through the Office of Healthcare Professional Recruitment and involved collaboration with Tourism Nova Scotia, Coastal Nova Scotia and the Pictou County Wellness Centre. It officially launched earlier this month and allows viewers to familiarize themselves with the local healthcare facilities and the local lifestyle.

“This cutting-edge technology gives us a chance to level up and now we have the chance to show people no matter where they are in the world — Stellarton, Vancouver, Nigeria or the UK — wherever you are you can step into our community and have a look for yourself and really put yourself in the driver’s seat,” said LeBlanc.

Lydia Sayeau is the co-founder and CEO of BRAEVR Media. In All Hands on Tech Episode 35: The transformative power of virtual storytelling, she said the immersive experience is all about creating a sense of community, allowing prospective healthcare professionals to virtually walk through medical facilities, explore equipment and even witness the transition from the hospital to the beach.

“The power of it for a recruitment and onboarding tool is massively valuable,” said Sayeau.“Imagine having staff from across the country and you need them to understand this specialized piece of equipment in one location. Well, you can send them this video so that when they do arrive on site, they're going to be familiar with it already. Day one is going to feel like day 10 to someone new on a job because they get a lay of the land before they arrive,” she said, adding that ‘your imagination is the limit to how this technology can be used.’

LeBlanc said she is optimistic about the potential impact of the project, which has already received positive feedback, including from one local retired physician in his 80s who expressed amazement at the technology. As communities globally vie for across top talent, LeBlanc said leveraging technology is “huge.”

“We hear about the physician shortage or the shortage of nurses and other healthcare providers and you feel helpless and you can’t do anything,” said LeBlanc. “What’s great about this is that word of mouth really works, or someone who’s looking for that sign to move back home … it gives them a really accessible tool to help them make that decision.”

This innovative tool not only underscores the region’s commitment to staying at the forefront of healthcare recruitment innovation, but it also transcends geographical barriers, offering a firsthand look into the community's lifestyle and medical infrastructure, making Pictou County an attractive choice for recruits from around the globe.