A Day in a Lifetime
A VR series for Mayo Clinic's nurse and social-worker leaders, with two peer-reviewed papers on its effect.
Short VR experiences co-designed with Mayo nurses who had lived experience of workplace racism and microaggressions, so leaders can recognise bias on the frontline, respond in the moment and model inclusive behaviour.
It was offered to 1,149 nurse and social-worker leaders across three Mayo Clinic campuses and four US regions, and 1,131 attended: 100 headsets and 28 two-hour virtual classes over four months, each with a facilitated small-group debrief.
The experience
Embody itExperience bias first-hand as a Black nurse, in a staff breakroom and a patient room.
Rehearse itRe-enter the same scene as yourself and practise speaking up.
What Mayo measured
- 93.4% said the scenario felt like real life
- A controlled study found significant gains in empathy and willingness to be an upstander, mostly still present six to eight months later
“We saw measurable improvements in confidence, communication, and inclusive leadership behaviors across diverse care settings.”Dr Alec J. Williams, Mayo Clinic, in Forbes (2025)