Student nurses in France now find their experience playing video games comes in useful in their training.

Virtual reality - or VR - is increasingly being utilised at nursing colleges.

The program used at this college in Paris, France, enables nurses to develop skills more rapidly than if they were at a real hospital.

Wearing a headset, the fully immersive experience feels like a real hospital to the student. VR provides trainee nurses the opportunity to gain experience working with "virtual" patients.

Seated at a computer screen, the student nurses guide themselves around a hospital room and ask the patient questions - just as if they were real people.

The nurses report that the simulation is very realistic. They even feel as if they are alone with a patient, as they will be once they are qualified.

The tool is not only invaluable for learning, but also useful for assessing the skills the students are developing.