Undergraduate Research Assistantship - OR Nurse
Description
Serve as an undergraduate research assistant on the project: The OR Around Us: Experiential Immersive Courseware for Nursing.
Under the guidance of subject-matter expert Dr. Joana Velasquez, a student, will create training for a VR headset that will be used to teach nursing students how to properly prepare an operating room. A comparative case study using the software in Spring 2026 will evaluate the effectiveness of the tool.
The research assistant will:
• Secure IRB permission for a study
• Learn how to create VR visualizations
• Work with former OR Nurse Dr. Joana Velasquez
• Create a realistic OR training tool that improves student nurse performance
Requirements
* You must have Work Study funding added to your awards BEFORE applying for this position. You are potentially eligible for Work Study if you are a US Citizen or permanent resident, have filed a FAFSA, are enrolled in at least 6 credits, and are in good academic standing.
This position requires the following:
• Must be Work Study eligible
• Ability to work in VR without suffering nausea
• At least a sophomore level understanding of CS
• Decent grasp of statistics
• Knowledge of Unity helpful but not essential
Instructions to find your Work Study eligibility status:
• Log into your MyPacePortal and click on Student Home and then the "Financial Aid" box (middle of screen).
• Once in Financial Aid, select the "Award Offer" tab and the correct Award Year.
• Scroll down to "Options to Pay Net Cost" and take a screenshot of the funds that are allocated specifically to Work Study for the academic year. Make sure your name is captured in the screenshot, then upload the screenshot, and submit it along with your application.
* If these details are not available in the "Award Offer" section of your profile, you are NOT currently eligible for Work Study funding. If you are a US citizen or permanent resident, and you have filed a FAFSA, you can open a Help Desk ticket with Financial Aid to determine your Work Study eligibility.