SIMUCRISIS™ Train in Chaos...Perform with Confidence™Presented by Jolene Caresio M.Ed, BA, RN and Jill Ensminger, Phd, RN
EMAIL: info@simucrisis.com 
PROBLEM: There is a growing need for registered nurses to be adequately prepared to respond to emergencies and mass casualty incidents (MCIs) in community settings. Current nursing curricula often lack sufficient simulation experiences that equip students with the skills necessary to triage, assess, and manage multiple patients during large-scale emergencies.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this quality improvement project is to offer nursing programs the opportunity to provide this simulation experience to nursing schools This simulation experience is a realistic, hands hands-on exercise of managing a mass casualty incident. Through participation in this controlled and immersive environment, students will apply theoretical knowledge to practice, enhancing their critical thinking and triage skills.
METHODOLOGY: Simulation educators will provide comprehensive support, including educational materials, equipment,and resources necessary to implement a realistic and immersive experience that prepares students to effectively respond to a massc asualty incident. Preparation includes students reviewing clearly defined learning objectives and educational content.These materials include, but are not limited to, a training video explaining the START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) triage system and other evidence-based resources relevant to emergency response. The simulation itself will utilize trained actors and realistic moulage to accurately depict various injuries, enhancing the authenticity of the experience.
RESULTS: Providing this simulation experience to nursing programs offers a consistent and high -quality learning opportunity for students, regardless of faculty availability or specialization in simulation simulation-based education. By leveraging the expertise of nurse simulation educators, students willbe able to identify and sequence the steps of basic triage in a simulated emergency scenario, demonstrating emergent and efficient prioritization of patient care.
CONCLUSION: Offering programs the opportunity to implement simulations that prepare students for emergency situations helps alleviate the burden on faculty. Simulation educators, with their specialized resources, experience and expertise, can deliver high high-quality simulations across multiple programs. These educators are well well-equipped to create meaningful learning experiences focused on triage, interdisciplinary collaboration and maintaining composure during high high-stress, chaotic scenarios scenarios —effectively preparing students for real real-world mass casualty events.

Contact Us

For more information about integrating our learning modules into your curricula, please provide your contact information below!

ABOUT US





Jolene Caresio M.Ed, BA, RNMy career as an Adjunct Professor and Lecturer at Russell Sage College presented an opportunity to develop learning experiences that provided students with valuable hands-on decision making skills based on real world situations. Rather than offer simulations based on mannequins, the learning experience expanded to include nursing students playing various characters within a crisis situation that demanded immediate triage decisions. The simulation further expanded to include community-based resources like Police, Fire and First Responders that enabled students to learn how to coordinate their response to a developing crisis situation. The act of training as a team based on respective roles, developing a chain of command based on expertise and responding to an unfolding crisis with deliberate and informed decisions led to developing SimuCrisis™ as a teaching program.

JILL ENSMINGER, Phd, RNAs the Founding Director of the Master of Science in Nursing Education Program at Niagara University, I bring over two decades of nursing experience and a lifelong passion for empowering future generations of nurses through education, mentorship, and innovation. My career has spanned clinical practice, academic leadership, and public health education—each role driven by a commitment to caring science, health equity, and academic excellence. From guiding curriculum development aligned with the new AACN Essentials to supporting students and faculty in diverse learning environments, I’ve led initiatives that promote evidence-based practice, inclusive education, and student success. 



SIMUCRISIS™ Train in Chaos...Perform with Confidence™ Copyright © 2025 All rights reserved.