A technical report presents a structured simulation protocol using ChatGPT to train novice critical care nurses in family crisis communication and verbal de-escalation. The protocol uses a fictional intensive care unit (ICU) scenario where the trainee communicates with an AI-generated persona representing a mother in distress at the ICU entrance after visiting hours. The simulated family member responds dynamically to the learner’s communication style, de-escalating when the learner uses empathy, active listening, and clear boundaries, and escalating only when the learner uses defensive, dismissive, or overly technical language. At the end of the session, ChatGPT provides formative feedback in six areas: empathy, active listening, clarity, boundary setting, avoidance of defensive language, and overall de-escalation. The protocol is not intended to replace supervised simulation, standardized patient encounters, clinical mentorship, or real-world communication experience, but offers a cost-effective, repeatable, and privacy-protected practice to complement communication skills training. The report notes that ICU nurses are typically the first professionals families encounter, and managing highly charged interactions poses a challenge for novice nurses, as effective crisis communication requires non-technical skills such as active listening, emotional regulation, empathy, providing social support, setting boundaries, and cultural sensitivity.