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SAN DIEGO — Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) launched the Navy’s first pilot Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) delivered through a virtual platform, June 10, marking a significant advancement in trauma education and medical readiness across the Military Health System.
The three-day pilot course, conducted June 10-12, was led by U.S. Navy Lt. Justin King, Emergency Nurses Association faculty assigned to 1st Medical Battalion, Lt. Krista MacMurray, TNCC course director assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command San Diego, and program administrators Hospital Corpsman 2ndClass Robert Tighe and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Exzabrea Hubisz, through NMCSD’s Staff Education and Training Department. While program administration is centrally located at NMCSD, the virtual format is designed to expand access to both student and instructor Navy nurses worldwide.
Developed by the Emergency Nurses Association, TNCC is a standardized trauma education program for nurses, providing critical thinking skills and hands-on training needed to deliver high-quality trauma care in both hospital and deployed environments.
“This is a significant milestone, as it is the first time the Navy is using a virtual platform to provide TNCC to Navy nurses remotely,” said King. “If successful, this platform will provide crucial TNCC access to students deployed in austere environments or stationed at small commands without established trauma programs.”
The initiative reinforces NMCSD’s role as one of the Navy’s premier military treatment facilities (MTF) and a leader in developing innovative solutions that strengthen operational medicine and support warfighter readiness.
MacMurray said the virtual format addresses a longstanding challenge faced by smaller commands and geographically separated units.
“The significance of this program is that we can reach further units,” said MacMurray. “Some of our students are from [Navy Medicine and Readiness Training Command] Twentynine Palms and [Navy Medicine and Readiness Training Command] Lemoore. They don't have programs out there, so they have to go to civilian programs, and the cost can be significant. So with this program, we're going to save the Navy some money and be able to help out our smaller commands.”
By removing geographic barriers, the program aims to standardize trauma training across the fleet and ensure nurses assigned to remote commands or deployed locations maintain the skills necessary to care for combat casualties and critically injured patients.
“This will enhance readiness,” MacMurray said. “We will be able to reach more people before they deploy, and even on deployment, we can provide this course virtually to them where they are.”
The platform also offers a new approach for sustaining instructor qualifications. TNCC instructors stationed at remote locations can teach courses virtually, allowing them to maintain certification requirements without leaving their assigned commands. The model helps preserve a highly trained cadre of instructors and strengthens trauma education throughout Navy Medicine.
In addition to improving readiness, the virtual course is expected to generate substantial cost savings, according to King.
“Hosting the TNCC program at the MTF and reducing temporary duty travel for instructors and students will generate significant cost savings for Navy Medicine over time,” King said.
He added that the program’s scalable model could have a future impact far beyond Navy Medicine, offering a blueprint to foster and expand joint-service medical education.
As the Navy’s largest military treatment facility and a flagship medical center within the Defense Health Agency, NMCSD continues to drive innovation in healthcare education and operational medicine. The virtual TNCC pilot demonstrates the command’s commitment to delivering world-class training, expanding access to critical trauma education, and ensuring medical personnel remain ready to support service members wherever the mission requires.
The mission of NMCSD is to optimize health and enhance readiness. NMCSD employs more than 5,500 active-duty military personnel, civilians, and contractors in southern California to deliver exceptional care afloat and ashore.
Editor's note: References to the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of ENA by the Defense Health Agency or NMCSD.
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