Lived experience immortalised in immersive technology, inspiring student nurses and healthcare professionals

Renowned musician Dr Clarence Adoo MBE and the University of Cumbria are launching a new ‘Lived Experiences’ project, transforming simulated practice for student nurses and future healthcare professionals. 

Clarence, who lives in the North East, has been collaborating with University of Cumbria for the last 15 months. 

Exploring his lived experience prior to and following a car accident which left him paralysed from the neck down, Clarence has been working with the university’s specialist technician in digital simulation Finn Drude to chronicle his story in a new 20-minute immersive experience. 

It takes students into Clarence’s world, allowing them to experience his journey including the immediate aftermath of the accident through to his ongoing rehabilitation and adapting to living life with paralysis.  

It also incorporates scenarios that nurses and healthcare professionals may encounter, challenging them to think about their role in supporting patients. The simulation not only offers insight into the impact on Clarence’s life, but it also delves into the emotional and psychological challenges faced. 

Impactful and powerful, the immersive film is invaluable in helping students to foster empathy and understanding of a lived experience from a patient’s perspective. 

Senior lecturer Steven McCarthy-Grunwald, programme leader for the university’s MSc Nursing programme, said: “Clarence's involvement in this special project will shape the education of future nurses and healthcare professionals across our region and beyond, helping them to develop knowledge in a different way to traditional forms of learning.

"We want this to be the start of a series of lived experiences sessions developed to tell human stories that highlight the challenges individuals face in society and across healthcare. This will help us to look at reducing the stigma experienced by others without participants having to relive the event and the potential re-traumatisation this can lead to.” 

Steven approached digital specialist technician Finn Drude in autumn 2023 to pitch the initial idea. 

Finn, who is a film-making alumnus of the university, develops bespoke simulation material for a variety of platforms including VR (virtual reality), web-based and the university’s on-campus immersive rooms, to assist students' learning experiences. 

After an initial meeting in November 2023, Finn and Clarence have worked together to develop the 20-minute experience. Arguably the most challenging element for Finn was recreating the moment that Clarence’s life changed forever, the car accident which left him paralysed. 

“From the beginning I really wanted to place the audience inside the car, but I was very conscious that this has been a very defining moment of Clarence’s life. I wanted to be respectful to this and not overly dramatise it,” explained Finn. 

“At the same time, I had to ensure that it would have the appropriate emotional impact on the audience. It was also a very careful balancing act in ensuring that we retained the right level of immersion. It had to feel real, but at the same time not too real to not accidentally cause any emotional distress in the viewer. Overall, I’m very grateful to Clarence for being so open and encouraging to recreate these very personal moments of his life as best and accurately as we could.” 

Clarence said: “I have enjoyed working with Steve and Finn; I believe in the work that they’re doing and they’re doing a great job. 

“There are so many basic things that you could highlight that I am not able to do or contribute to such as I can't help a person carry their shopping across the road anymore. However, I do have a story about my life which could help or stimulate somebody to recognise to do something different to somebody else's life in this world.” 

Above (l-r): University of Cumbria's Steven McCarthy-Grunwald with Dr Clarence Adoo MBE and digital simulation specialist Finn Drude 

The University of Cumbria has a long-standing reputation for its education of nurses and allied health professionals. 

Professor Karen Stansfield, Dean, Institute of Health, said: “We are deeply grateful to Clarence for his openness and generosity in sharing his story in this way. This simulation is not just about learning clinical skills; it's about developing a deep understanding of the human experience which is so important to us in the healthcare professions. It's about recognising the person behind the patient and providing holistic, compassionate care."  

With immersive rooms at its Carlisle and Lancaster campuses, MSc Nursing students Joy Ezeala and Comfort Akinbobola have been among the first to view Clarence’s story at the suite on the university’s Fusehill Street campus. 

Comfort said: “It’s given me the opportunity to step into the patient world. It’s helped develop my sense of empathy for the patient and has improved my clinical skills as well.” 

Above: Cumbria MSc Nursing students Comfort Akinbobola and Joy Ezeala with Dr Clarence Adoo MBE

• Those with their own lived experience who are interested in supporting the education of future healthcare professionals through this University of Cumbria scheme are asked to make contact via email to iohexecutive@cumbria.ac.uk 

WATCH: Dr Clarence Adoo MBE at the University of Cumbria