Making Waves: Tasha Murchison brings simulation innovation to AWHONN Georgia section conference 2025
The 2025 Georgia AWHONN Section Conference proved to be a landmark event for experiential learning in nursing education, thanks to the groundbreaking presentation by Tasha Murchison, NGMC clinical simulation educator. Her dynamic session, “Waves of Innovation: Ideas That Make a Splash with Experiential Learning,” showcased the Northeast Georgia Health System’s (NGHS) CSI mobile Simulation Unit, offering attendees hands-on experience with high-stakes simulation training, skills practice stations, nursing-themed escape rooms, and custom team-building games. Tasha’s pre-conference event featured five fast-paced learning stations where participants raced the clock, challenged their thinking, and laughed every step of the way, demonstrating how effective clinical education can be both rigorous and engaging through gamification and interactive learning strategies.
Reflecting on the transformative conference experience, Tasha shared her enthusiasm,
“The 2025 GA AWHONN Section Conference was nothing short of epic. From the moment I hit the ground running, it has been a whirlwind of connection, learning, laughter and purpose.”
Her work exemplifies the evolution of nursing education from traditional formats to immersive, experiential learning that better prepares healthcare professionals for real-world challenges. The success of her innovative approach, combined with her collaborative presentation on cardiovascular risk assessment alongside mentor Bridgette Schulman, has set a new standard for nursing education conferences and created a blueprint for the future of clinical education that prioritizes both effectiveness and engagement.
Bridging healthcare and highway safety: CSI powers Lutzie 43 Foundation’s mission
CSI played a crucial role in bringing life-saving education to Stephens County High School through their partnership with the 2025 Lutzie 43 Foundation Safe Driving Summit. This collaboration represents a powerful intersection of healthcare expertise and community safety education, demonstrating how medical simulation technology can extend far beyond traditional clinical training to address pressing public health challenges.
The event, which took place on August 28, 2025, at Stephens County High School, marked the second consecutive year that the school hosted the Lutzie 43 Foundation’s Safe Driving Summit, with the initial connection facilitated by Jenna Boyd, Trauma Community Outreach, Injury Prevention & Recovery Coordinator for NGMC. Boyd’s recognition of the program’s potential impact in other areas of the state led to this transformative partnership between NGMC’s simulation capabilities and the foundation’s mission to reduce distracted, impaired, and unsafe driving incidents.
Pediatric emergency simulation enhances team readiness at Gainesville emergency department
CSI educators Jackie Payne and Lauren Wisnoski, collaborated with Emergency Services Director Tina Johnson and Emergency Services Educator Wendy Palmer to deliver critical pediatric respiratory failure training to the Gainesville emergency department team. The high-fidelity simulation scenario involved a 5-month-old infant arriving via EMS in respiratory distress, with the patient’s condition rapidly deteriorating to respiratory failure and subsequent cardiac arrest. This realistic training challenged the entire multidisciplinary team—including nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, physicians, physician residents, and support staff—to apply their Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) knowledge and resources in a coordinated resuscitation effort.
These hands-on exercises serve a dual purpose: reinforcing the specialized education and clinical tools necessary for treating pediatric patients in the community while simultaneously supporting broader pediatric readiness initiatives. By providing realistic, team-based scenarios, the program ensures that emergency department staff maintain the skills and confidence needed to respond effectively to critical pediatric cases.
NGMC Gainesville conducts multi-unit trauma simulation to enhance emergency response
A comprehensive in-situ simulation focusing on obstetric trauma management was conducted involving multiple hospital departments in a coordinated emergency response exercise. The simulation presented a challenging scenario involving a 32-week pregnant patient who arrived at the emergency room following a motor vehicle accident with a shattered pelvis and suspected placental abruption, requiring immediate massive transfusion protocol activation and emergent cesarean section. Staff from the emergency room, operating room, labor & delivery, NICU, and trauma units participated in their respective roles.
The simulation aimed to strengthen critical competencies across multiple learning objectives, including recognition and management of placental abruption in trauma patients, coordination of rapid obstetric emergency responses, and demonstration of effective closed-loop communication between disciplines. Beyond individual skill development, the exercise sought to improve staff understanding of obstetric versus non-obstetric trauma management protocols, enhance familiarity with equipment locations, and identify potential process barriers or delays in care delivery. Following the event, educators compiled findings on equipment availability, knowledge gaps, and procedural issues to develop a comprehensive corrective action plan, ultimately working to create a safer environment for both patients and healthcare staff during high-acuity obstetric emergencies.
Learn more about the Center for Simulation and Innovation at NGMC.