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Grief doesn’t follow a straight line, and it doesn’t only come after a funeral. We talk with chaplain Kathy Gingrich about what grief really looks like in real life and in healthcare, starting with a tender, honest story from Deb about saying goodbye to her beloved boxer, Maggie. Together we name the parts people rarely say out loud: the anticipatory grief that starts years before a loss, the way a pet’s unconditional love changes us, and why you don’t “get over it” so much as learn to carry it differently.

Kathy shares what she has learned from decades of chaplaincy, emergency care, and pastoral work: healthy grieving needs support, listening, and space to tell the story without critique. We unpack the spiritual questions that surface under stress, including guilt, unfinished words, “woulda, coulda, shoulda,” and the hard “where was God?” moments. We also discuss why popular grief stage models can be helpful but misleading when they imply a neat, linear process, and we explore deeper ways to normalize shock, anger, and disorientation while still moving toward hope.

We then connect grief support to simulation training and role-play for clinicians, educators, and support staff. Practicing end-of-life conversations, learning what not to say, preparing families for what dying can look like, and offering simple comforts and meaningful keepsakes can change a worst day into a less lonely one. If you’re grieving, supporting someone who is, or you work in healthcare and want better tools for spiritual care and compassionate communication, this conversation offers grounded guidance you can actually use.

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Innovative SimSolutions.
Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

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Simulation isn’t just about cool equipment or a perfect scenario. It’s about building repeatable, trustworthy learning and assessment systems that make clinical education safer, fairer, and more effective. We sit down with Jason Conselman, Director of Simulation and Training at the University of Maryland Medical Center, to unpack how a simulation career can grow from the field to leadership, and why mentorship through programs like SSH Ascend can change what’s possible for new simulationists.

We get practical about healthcare simulation standards, core competencies, and best practices, including how a multi-week course supported by major simulation organizations helps people understand accreditation, clarify goals, and connect certifications like CHSE and CHSOS to real work inside a simulation center. Then we go deeper on a topic that trips up even experienced teams: assessment. Jason explains why “everything we do is assessment,” what makes rubrics usable, how interrater reliability affects fairness, and why validity matters when simulation results influence real decisions.

You’ll also hear a standout interprofessional education story that pairs physical therapists and physician assistant learners in a structured, multi-day experience focused on collaboration and discharge planning, plus a preview of SimOps 2026 in Tampa with the Ignite theme and a spotlight on simulation in non-traditional locations, from mobile units to space medicine. If you’re building a program, refining assessment, or figuring out your place in simulation operations or education, this conversation will give you language, ideas, and next steps. Subscribe, share this with a fellow simulationist, and leave a review with the most urgent assessment question you want answered next.

Innovative SimSolutions.
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What happens when a movement-first profession steps into a simulation lab built for physiology and decision-making under pressure? We sit down with Denise Romano, an assistant professor leading physical therapy simulation at Binghamton University, to unpack how PT learners can safely practice high-stakes mobility long before they enter acute care. From AFib in the ICU to COPD patients whose vitals shift during transfers, Denise maps out realistic scenarios that force students to balance safety, lines and tubes, and evolving clinical data while communicating clearly as a team.

We walk through a full landscape of PT-focused simulations: early infection control adapted from nursing with Glow Germ, mobility checkoffs in hospital-like spaces, ventilator cases requiring careful progression, and standardized patient interviews for differential diagnosis. Denise explains why PT relies heavily on SPs for authentic movement, where mannequins still shine for physiologic fidelity, and how thoughtful debriefs convert messy moments into durable clinical judgment. Her use of entrustability scales tied to EPAs gives faculty a shared framework to chart each learner’s path from novice to entry-ready clinician, with formative feedback that guides safer practice.

The conversation also tackles the big barrier: unlike nursing, PT lacks the large-scale evidence to replace a portion of clinical hours with simulation. Denise makes a compelling case for a multi-site study to unlock that recognition, particularly as acute care placements tighten and risk tolerance narrows. She also shares a favorite classroom memory that turned a tangled SCD mistake into a lifelong safety cue, highlighting why simulated missteps are often the most memorable teachers. If you care about physical therapy education, clinical placements, competency assessment, or the future of healthcare simulation, you’ll leave with concrete ideas and renewed urgency to give PT a stronger seat at the table.

Subscribe for more conversations on simulation, clinical education, and the skills that move patient care forward. Share your thoughts, leave a review, and tell us which PT competencies you think simulation should tackle next.

Innovative SimSolutions.
Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.