Our Story

About Us

Tactile VR is the world's first AI-Powered Virtual Reality platform for nursing simulation.

Made by Nurses for Nurses.

Founded & Operated by Nurses

Tactile VR was founded in 2021 to help bridge the gap in the transition to practice for nursing professionals. The founder, Will Kirkpatrick MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CCRN, CSCS, is an experienced nurse, nurse practitioner, and game developer who witnessed firsthand the challenges healthcare faces in keeping up with demand. The need for well-prepared healthcare workers continues to outpace the training capacity of educational institutions.

Our Why

What we Are Doing

AI Innovations

Integrating AI + VR Together

Traditional nursing simulations using human actors, mannequins, or faculty oversight are valuable but come with limitations like high costs, space requirements, and limited capacity. Faculty members are often stretched thin, especially with large class sizes. AI-powered patients in VR simulations eliminate these challenges, allowing students to practice clinical scenarios without live facilitation. This adaptive technology offers a more realistic, unscripted experience that better prepares students for real-world situations.

Learn more
hospitalenvironment1_MWKb.png

Facilitator-Free Simulation

Scaling Clinical Opportunity

AI-powered simulations offer a scalable solution to one of the biggest challenges in nursing education: providing more clinical practice hours. With growing student populations and limited clinical placements, nursing programs need innovative ways to offer hands-on learning. AI patients in VR simulations allow schools to expand clinical hours without relying on physical resources, reducing costs and freeing up faculty time.

Learn More

Advancing Realism

Immersive Clinical Judgment

AI-driven virtual patients bring exceptional realism to clinical simulations with nuanced behaviors, physiological responses, and emotional reactions that make the experience feel authentic. Unlike mannequins or standardized patient actors, AI patients adapt dynamically to student decisions, allowing for complex, unscripted scenarios that require critical thinking.

Learn more

Meet the Founder

Will Kirkpatrick, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CCRN, CSCS

Mr. Kirkpatrick, a certified Family Nurse Practitioner, nursing simulationist, and game developer, leads innovation and simulation development at Tactile VR. With expertise in both nursing and game development, he recognized key gaps in the transition from nursing education to practice. In 2021, he founded Tactile VR to revolutionize nursing education by creating products that better prepare students for real-world scenarios. He also enhances teaching tools by integrating AI moderation into simulations, making instruction more effective and efficient.

Team & Advisory board

  • Foster Sayers, Esq.
  • Tanya Linsley, MSN, RN
  • Jordan Wilson, MSN, RN-BC, NPD-BC
  • Dr. Christine Heilman, PhD. Ed, RN, CCRN
  • Brett Pollard, RN, BSN, MBA, BAAS, CPHQ, DHAc 
  • Cathy Crum, MSN, RN
  • Rebecca Keyes, BSN, RN, CCRN
  • Melissa Cody, MSN, ACNP
  • Dr. Stacie Campbell, PhD. Ed, RN
  • Stacie Groll, MSN, RN

Foster Sayers, Esq.

Mr. Foster J. Sayers III, Esq. leads business operations, corporate strategy, and fundraising. Foster is a corporate attorney with sixteen years of experience, coming primarily in information technology. His full-time work is as Vice President of Legal Operations at symplr software.  Previously he was General Counsel & Chief Evangelist at Pramata where he oversaw all legal affairs of the company and shares his expertise on contract drafting, management, and negotiations. Foster regularly publishes articles and speaks on legal and technology topics. Prior to Pramata, Foster was Corporate Counsel for Vertafore, Inc. where he implemented best practices for leading private equity firms Bain Capital and Vista Equity Partners. Prior to Vertafore, Foster was General Counsel for a joint-venture, Vertex Railcar Corporation. Prior to Vertex , Foster was the General Counsel, CEO and Co-Founder of AgileQR, a company that he co-founded, raised over $800,000 in funding for and obtained three patents on the company’s technology.

Tanya Linsley, MSN, RN

Tanya Linsley is a well-rounded Registered Nurse with thirteen years of experience in multilateral areas of direct patient care and leadership. She spent the last ten years in ICU leading as a charge nurse, chair of peer review and previously served as a nurse intern manager and educator that specialized in research development and policy change.  

Currently, Tanya uses her expertise and skill set to advocate and provide individualized nutrition guidance and wellness coaching to those struggling with lifestyle change. Her passion for preventative approaches to common health risk is the foundation of her coaching services creating behavioral change that helps pivot her client’s life in a healthier direction. 

Tanya also contributes to promoting health and wellness in the workplace by expanding her services to corporations that are in need of resources and want to provide health incentives and optimize employee performance. 

Tanya holds a Masters in Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing. She completed her course of study in a Bachelor Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing, holding Presidents Honors and her Associates Degree in Nursing holding Presidents Honors and clinical award from Amarillo College.  

Jordan Wilson, MSN, RN-BC, NPD-BC

Jordan Wilson is currently a Nurse Faculty member for the Texas Two Step Program that is within the Medical City Healthcare system in North Texas. For this job, Jordan Wilson is both a division-level Nurse Educator with the ability to help out in any project/task assigned within the education department as a whole and an Adjunct Faculty member at Collin College School of Nursing in North Texas. In this Adjunct Faculty aspect of his role, heoperates both as the academic advisor for all second semester Texas Two Step students as well as the clinical instructor for both second and first semester Texas Two Step students. Jordan Wilson has also served in the following roles: Adjunct Faculty/National Student Learning Specialist for Chamberlain University, Nurse Advisor/Volunteer for “Nurses International” educational consulting organization, Simulated Mass Casualty Incident Commander/organizer, University of Texas Medical Branch Simulation Center Policy Committee member, Committee Member/Officer within the American Nursing Association, Texas Nursing Association, Sigma Theta Tau International, Association for Nursing Professional Development, and the Texas League of Nursing. Jordan Wilsonhas a Masters in Nursing Education from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Lubbock Christian University, and a Nursing Diploma from Covenant School of Nursing. Joran Wilson also has obtained the ANCC Med/Surg Specialty license and the Nursing Professional Development License during his practice. He has professional experience in the following areas of nursing: med/surg, hospice, ICU step down, ER (pedi, adult, psych), psych lockdown (acute and intermediate stay), public health, nursing administration, research, Virtual Reality training, legislation, shared governance, clinical education and academic education.

Dr. Christine Heilman, PhD. Ed, RN, CCRN

Dr. Christine Heilman is an associate professor at Rhodes State College, where she is helping to obtain accreditation and design a curriculum for the Bachler’s of Nursing program. Before Rhodes State College, she was a professor at Marion Technical College. Dr. Heilman created high-fidelity simulations at Marion Technical College and taught nursing theory and clinicals. She has been a nurse for twenty-eight years, with much of her nursing career in critical care. Dr. Heilman obtained her critical care certification (CCRN) from the American Association of Critical Care. 

Dr. Heilman maintains certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Advanced Stroke Life Support. In Addition, to teaching, she continues to work in the critical care setting. Dr. Heilman earned her Bachelor of Nursing and a Master of Nursing with a concentration in nursing education from Kaplan University and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree from Chamberlain University. Dr. Heilman resides in Kenton, Ohio, with her family.  

 

Brett Pollard, RN, BSN, MBA, BAAS, CPHQ, DHAc 

Brett Pollard is an experienced Chief Clinical Officer/Chief Nursing Officer in the acute care hospital setting. He has over 25 years of healthcare experience and concentrates his efforts in critical care services. Before taking a clinical leadership career path, Brett was a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) and Cardiac Surgery Certification (CSC) nurse who specialized in high acuity patient care. He is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and has fulfilled his didactic requirements for his Doctor of Healthcare Administration. 

Cathy Crum, MSN, RN

Cathy currently serves as the Associate Director for the Nursing Program as part of the Health Technologies division at Marion Technical College (MTC) in Marion Ohio. She has been employed at MTC since 2002. Cathy teaches in a variety of courses from high school to second level nursing students. She earned her BSN from Olivet Nazarene University and her MSN from Otterbein University.

Rebecca Keyes, BSN, RN, CCRN

Rebecca Keyes is a Bachelor’s graduate from Texas Tech University of Health Sciences with an associate’s degree in nursing from Collin College. She is a wife and a mother of two beautiful daughters. As a woman of Faith, she feels called to be a nurse. Rebecca began her career of 11 years as a patient care tech and has advanced to a charge nurse and Clinical Team Lead. After starting on a medical/surgical unit, she has most recently spent the last 7 years in the Critical Care. She obtained her Critical Care certification (CCRN) in 2019 from the American Association of Critical Care. She has spent two years as president of the Unit Based Council, participated in the Peer Review committee and Shared Governance councils. Rebecca recently has begun working with a Gift of Life organization in a donor care unit. Rebecca looks forward to advancing in her nursing career.

Melissa Cody, MSN, ACNP

Melissa Cody is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with a focus in acute care.  She received her BS degree in BioMedical Sciences from the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse and her BS degree and her Masters of Science in Nursing from Marquette University.  She has over 10 years of clinical experience working in multiple intensive care units - including cardiovascular, neuro, trauma and medical ICU.  Along with direct patient care, Melissa also lectures on ICU care, advanced airway management and general pulmonology topics for continuing education conferences. Currently, Melissa is the clinical coordinator of the advanced practice provider program for her intensivist group.  

Dr. Stacie Campbell, PhD. Ed, RN

Dr. Stacie Campbell is the Director of Nursing at Marion Technical College in Ohio. She has been with MTC since 2015. She has taught courses in nursing simulation, nursing lab, nursing lecture, clinical, and healthcare informatics. She has experience in the nursing field specializing in medical-surgical care and long-term memory care. Stacie graduated with her ADN from Owen's Community College. Then would go on to complete her MSN, and Ph.D. at Walden University. 

Stacie Groll, MSN, RN

Stacie Groll is an associate professor at Marion Technical College, where she is helping to obtain accreditation and design a curriculum for the Bachler’s of Nursing program. Stacie has assisted with the creation of several high-fidelity simulations at Marion Technical College and taught nursing theory and clinical. She has been a nurse for eighteen years with much of her nursing career spent on Neuro and Cardiac units. 

 

Stacie maintains certification and instructor status in ACLS and BLS. In Addition, to teaching, she continues to work on an article about the transition from clinical practice to academia for publication. Stacie earned her Bachelor of Nursing from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Nursing with a concentration in nursing education from Walden University. 

Interested in Joining our Nursing Team?

Fill out the form below and a team member will get back with you!