Enhancing healthcare emergency management training through virtual reality simulation

Author's Biography

Suzy Fitzgerald CHSE transitioned away from The Physicians Medical Group (TPMG) at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KP NCAL) in March 2024 after 20 years in emergency medicine, emergency management and simulation training for the organisation. She served as the KP NCAL TPMG Emergency Management Training Director and the KP NCAL Regional Physician Simulation Lead. Suzy is currently a member of the Learning Advisory Board for Lumeto, an Adjunct Associate Professor with the University of Southern California (USC) Bovard College emergency management Master’s programme, and a Telemedicine Physician with Teladoc Health. Suzy graduated from the UCSF School of Medicine in 2000, completed her emergency medicine residency at Alameda County Medical Center– Highland Hospital in 2004, and worked for Kaiser Permanente from 2004 to 2024. She is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP) and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (FAAEM). Suzy has deployed to several disaster events including post-civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009, the Haiti earthquake in 2010 and Superstorm Sandy in New York in 2012. She was a member of the Bay Area Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT CA-6) from 2009 to 2015 and served as an Assistant Team Medical Director.

Virginia Riggall is a certified Adult- Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist who has developed interprofessional simulation programmes to improve patient safety and team dynamics in practice and academic environments. In her current role as a Senior Clinical Practice Consultant for Northern California Kaiser Permanente’s Regional Risk and Patient Safety Department, she develops programmes with teams to reduce and prevent harm by incorporating simulation and TeamSTEPPS into trainings across the region. Virginia holds a variety of degrees including an Associate degree in accounting, a BS in Nursing; MS in Advanced Practice Nursing as an Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist. She also holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice with an emphasis on interprofessional collaboration from St. John Fisher College. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Virginia holds several certifications including Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Adult-Gerontology certification from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, and a Certified Professional in Patient Safety from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. She is a TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer and has completed advanced TeamSTEPPS training.

Jennifer Quevedo is an Emergency Department Nurse with over 24 years’ clinical nursing, nursing administration and clinical education experience. Jennifer is a seasoned expert in high-stress, critical care environments, offering exceptional patient care and crisis management. She currently serves the 21 Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KP NCAL) emergency departments as the Emergency Department Clinical Practice Consultant for Education and Training. Over the past six years, Jennifer has expanded her impact by transitioning into a dual role as a collegiate educator as well, imparting invaluable knowledge and hands-on experience to nursing students. She serves as an Assistant Director and nursing faculty member at the De Anza College School of Nursing and is also a Clinical Instructor for the Valley Foundation School of Nursing at San Jose State University. Currently in the process of obtaining a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Jennifer is committed to advancing nursing expertise and driving improvements in patient care through both clinical and educational approaches, blending years of experience with a forward-thinking approach to elevate the nursing profession.