The Hoosier hERoes credit their clinical skills, speed and communication for winning SIM Wars this year.
The words “We’re going to CT” barely reached the Experience Hall air from the SIM Wars arena before the Hoosier hERoes knew this year would be different.
The high-fives flew as team members Melissa Komrska, BSN, RN, CEN, SANE; McKenzy McMullen, BSN, RN, NPD-BC, CEN, CPEN, TCRN; Jaylin Miller, BSN, RN, CEN; and Alyssa Neal, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, finished their first-round case. In a celebratory huddle, Komrska told the team, “We rocked it!” And the squad clearly felt their redemption tour was underway to bounce back after a 6th place showing in 2024.
“Those high fives were proof that we support one another and love to work together to figure out a solution to a problem. When we walked out of the first case, we were very confident that we did well — but knew the competition would be tough,” Neal said.
Recipe for Redemption
One day later, the Hoosier hERoes completed the comeback by taking the SIM Wars title, topping the 16-team field in the two-day skills competition, which has become one of the most popular clinical events at ENA’s annual conference.
“Last year, we were not very confident going in. This year, we decided to come in with a different mindset,” Neal shared. “We were going to do what we know best and focus on the TNCC process for evaluation. We’re a very competitive bunch … we needed to ensure we stuck to our plan. It was simple — we have the skills and knowledge to win, we just needed to do it ‘on stage.’”
Cheered on by fellow Indiana ENA members, the hERoes rode a wave of confidence through the championship round, where speed turned out to be the difference maker. Judge Christopher Sampson, MD, FACEP, explained the finals case involved a pneumonia patient in the ED who had stopped taking their medication for Addison’s disease in recent days due to the illness.
“All three teams were able to solve the case and correctly get the patient administered steroids. The difference came down to the speed in which … Hoosier hERoes recognized the underlying illness and jumped in to treat it. They quickly obtained the patient’s past medical history, tipping them off to the need for steroids,” Sampsons said before praising the work of all teams. “The finals case was a tough one, and everyone showed amazing teamwork and medical knowledge.”
As winners of this year’s SIM Wars, the Hoosier hERoes take home a championship belt along with the bragging rights.
The runners-up, Tuabies for Life, took the final results in stride. During the championship presentation on stage during Impact: An ENA Celebration, Brigit Hines, MSN, APRN, RN, FNP-BC, CEN, TCRN, congratulated the Hoosier hERoes and offered no quarrels with the judge’s comments.
“It was very fun to compete against each other for the SIM Wars [title], and they won,” Hines said before summarizing the final results with a classic movie quote. “If you’re not first, your last.”
Neal shared Hines’ feelings about the spirit of SIM Wars, even suggesting the field of teams be expanded further.
“It is such an amazing experience to have fun, compete, but also learn at the same time. It shows how ED nurses are resilient and adapt to whatever a patient scenario brings,” she said.