Lehman College’s new $95 million Nursing Education, Research and Practice Center (NERPC) opened its doors to nursing students starting in early February.
The new building will act as the long-anticipated, centralized and dedicated space for Lehman College nursing majors to learn and engage in hands-on clinical simulations, according to Elgoria Harrison, dean of the School of Health Sciences, Human Services and Nursing. She says the building, which was funded through capital programs by New York state, the New York City Council and the Bronx Borough President’s Office — will give more space to students and faculty members and maximize faculty’s ability to educate nursing students.
The 52,000-square-foot NERPC will feature a 20-bed nursing skills lab, HyFlex classrooms, wet and dry research labs, as well as maternity, pediatrics, ICU and medical surgery wards with 22 simulators.
The nursing center has been in the works for eight years. It was designed and built by Urbahn Architects and Citnalta Construction, respectively.
“The opening of our new Nursing Education, Research, and Practice Center represents our commitment to our students, our community and our city,” Lehman College President Fernando Delgado said. “In what can be considered a critical and important time in healthcare, offering students hands-on training is essential in preparing them as they go into practice, ensuring they can deliver the best possible care to their patients.”
The simulations at NERPC will give nursing students a taste of real-world clinical experiences with state-of-the-art mannequins and labs, according to Harrison.
“It prepares students for what they’ll see in the clinical setting, so they’re not overwhelmed when they get there,” she said.
The labs are outfitted with cameras, which can record students’ simulated clinical experiences for playback. Students will be able to watch and review their performance with professors for extended instruction.
Lehman College has stated the new nursing center will provide a higher quality education for its nursing students, but they also hope it will boost enrollment in nursing programs. According to Harrison, the college has roughly 250 juniors and seniors enrolled in the nursing program, with 900 to 1,000 pre-nursing students who have expressed an interest. She estimates the percentage of students who are at least interested in the nursing program makes up 10% of students at Lehman College.
And while the NERPC is expected to improve educational opportunities for nursing students by a significant margin, Harrison says that the school has to continue to be mindful of its capacity. If the nursing program were to see a rapid rise in enrollment, there would need to be the resources and staff to serve it.
“As much as we would like to take on 200 new general nursing students, we have to be mindful of the resources and faculty we have,” Harrison said.
One degree program where Harrison does see an opportunity for growth is in the RN to BS nursing program, which allows students with an Associate’s Degree to complete two more years of schooling. She says there are currently 70 to 80 students enrolled in this program and believes NERPC will give the college the capacity to expand it.
After graduation, many nursing students who attend Lehman College will continue to live and work in the Bronx, which is consistently ranked the unhealthiest out of the 62 counties in the state of New York. According to a press release, Lehman College believes that the education provided within NERPC will raise up a generation of nurses to serve often overlooked areas like the Bronx and fulfill a need for quality healthcare.
“Many of our students will stay in the Bronx and practice in the Bronx after graduation, which we’re very proud of,” Harrison said. “They’ll continue caring for their local community.”
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