When I first stepped into IMU University on 1 June, 2023, as a Clinical Instructor, I imagined my days would be filled with teaching, guiding, and preparing nursing students for the challenges of clinical practice. What I didn’t expect was how quickly my role would evolve into something much bigger, a journey of discovery, innovation, and unexpected triumphs.

In my early months, I became involved in a variety of projects, including marketing initiatives, community engagement, and collaborative activities across departments. Each of these experiences was valuable, but one project began to capture my heart and attention, which is the Virtual Nursing Case (VNC).

The idea behind VNC was simple yet powerful. I needed to create real patient case scenarios with guiding questions that would challenge students to think critically, just as they would in a hospital. Over time, I developed several VNCs with the help of lecturers who reviewed the content from specific subject areas and from the Instructional Designer from the e-Learning Department to design the VNC. Each one was designed to give our Nursing students an immersive and reflective learning experience through the e-learning platform. For me, these VNCs became more than just digital lessons; they became living stories, each breathing life into clinical practice and sparking curiosity in students eager to learn.

Encouraged by colleagues, I took a bold step and submitted my first VNC project to the International Learning Resources Festival (ILRF) in 2024. I still remember the nervousness while waiting for the results, followed by the overwhelming joy of hearing that the project had won a Gold Medal. That moment was a turning point for me, which showed me that what I was creating had real value, not only for my students but also for the wider academic community.

The following year, in 2025, I decided to challenge myself further by submitting four VNC projects to ILRF2025. To my amazement, the results surpassed all expectations. I received one Gold, two Silver, and one Bronze medals. Among these, one project stood out, and it’s this VNC called Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE) in Paediatric Patients. This project not only earned Gold in the Interactive Learning Experience (Professional) category but was also shortlisted for the e-Inovasi Competition and selected as a finalist for the eLearning Innovation Award Competition. The results will be revealed on University Day 2026, and I wait with great anticipation and pride.

Looking back, this journey has been much more than a collection of projects and medals. It has been a personal and professional transformation, a continuous exploration of how innovation can make learning more meaningful. It taught me to question, to create, and to believe that even small ideas can inspire great change. The recognition is deeply rewarding, but the true victory lies in watching students engage with these VNCs, seeing their curiosity ignite, their reasoning sharpen, and their confidence grow.

As I continue my path at IMU University, I carry with me the lessons of this journey: innovation begins with curiosity, courage drives progress, and true impact happens when passion meets purpose. With every VNC I create, I hope to bring nursing education one step closer to bridging the classroom with the realities of patient care, transforming not just how we teach, but how future nurses learn, think, and care.

In the end, innovation in education is not about technology alone
It’s about heart, vision, and the unwavering belief that
We can always do better for our students and our patients.

Written by  Deepa Kaliappen, Clinical Instructor, Nursing Division.