Savannah’s Febris is Revolutionizing RN and CNA Training with Virtual Reality

Did you know that it cost an average of $66,300 to train one registered nurse (RN)? Febris, a Savannah-based tech company, set out to solve this problem and found multiple gaps in the RN training industry. 

Founded by Kirkland Brooks, Febris develops virtual reality (VR) enabled experiential nurse education to aid in the transition between school and work. The technology company has achieved this by integrating education systems with unique simulation software for small specialized institutions to large technical college systems.

While doing initial research, Brooks found that the extended reality (XR) education market was lacking. He described it as “fractured” and difficult to navigate, with current distribution methods “not meeting the needs for education.” Additionally, he found that content creators’ best option for storing and distributing their content was very expensive.

With this in mind, Brooks came up with an idea to create a “hub for XR education” by offering…

• Curriculum with a VR education focus, which is used to teach hands-on skills through experiential learning
• Licensing with hardware cross-compatibility
• Custom VR content 
• A marketplace for similar learning systems and content creators

On the homepage of the Febris website, Brooks includes a quote from Benjamin Franklin stating, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.” The biggest advantage to using VR for training is its effectiveness in increasing retention in trainees. Some companies are even using VR to train employees on using soft skills and increase empathy amongst workers. According to a study by the National Training Laboratory, VR learning retention rates were 75% compared to those of lecture (5%) and reading (10%) learning styles.

Another big selling point is the fact there is no hardware lock with Febris’ offerings. Brooks made his software compatible with different types of devices for ease of use and mobility and so that clients can host their own content, keeping their data in a chosen area and under their own control. Instructors can operate dozens of headsets from one single tablet via their WiFi Network. Headsets also work with any VR-accessible PC and Android-based system. With the product’s mobility, Febris has been able to build educational programs for remote RN training. 

Customers are able to work with the content creation side of Febris to design custom curriculums at a one-time cost. This allows customers to teach their clients how to use the hardware they produce, to increase sales, or to teach specialized courses.

Brooks noticed something else while building the training programs. He needed a platform on which to offer Febris’ software and realized that other educational and training companies need to offer their services and tools in similar ways. Thus, his idea of a marketplace was born. Other medical education companies will be able to utilize Febris’ marketplace for their own software distribution as well as to improve their reach and versatility.

Brooks’ next steps are to release certified nursing assistant (CNA) curriculum programs as his company continues to work with the Technical College System of Georgia and expand Febris’ customer base.

To learn more about Febris visit https://www.febr.is/.