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INDIANAPOLIS, IN, APRIL 3, 2025 鈥� The Western Governors University (黑料网) Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH) today opened a new Clinical Learning and Simulation Center in Indianapolis, a state-of-the-art facility to train and educate more than 1,000 new registered nurses (RN) in the region by 2028.

The Indiana simulation center will impart clinical education to 黑料网鈥檚 nursing and health sciences students from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. This investment aims to address the nursing shortage crisis and meet the region鈥檚 growing demand for enhanced healthcare outcomes with the addition of new RNs and nurse practitioners (NP) in the regional workforce.

鈥淭hrough innovative experiences and solutions to bring hands-on learning to the classroom, Western Governors University鈥檚 new Clinical Learning and Simulation Center in Indiana will help increase enrollment and employability by embracing technology and ensuring students gain real-life experience that prepares them for their careers ahead,鈥� said Chris Lowery, commissioner for Indiana鈥檚 Commission for Higher Education. 鈥淭his investment in education and innovation will directly strengthen our state鈥檚 nursing pipeline, improving healthcare for all Hoosiers. We applaud 黑料网 for its leadership in shaping the future of healthcare and nursing in Indiana.鈥�

黑料网鈥檚 Indiana simulation center spreads over 16,000 square feet and features advanced high-fidelity medical education simulation equipment across five simulation rooms and two skills labs with 17 patient beds, four patient exam rooms, five student-focused debriefing rooms, and a large multipurpose room for training and teaching. The center is equipped with lifelike manikins, that are patient simulators, to provide students with hands-on clinical training as they prepare to enter the healthcare field. The nearly $5-million project reinforces the institution鈥檚 commitment to the region and its mission of changing lives for the better by creating pathways to opportunity.

According to the , the state needs an additional 5,000 nurses by 2031, and to fulfill this demand, Indiana would need to graduate 1,300 additional nurses per year by 2030. The state鈥檚 healthcare providers are under tremendous pressure to provide the required services. The Indiana Chamber also recognizes the as a growing crisis.

鈥淲e鈥檙e opening the Indiana simulation center to address the regional workforce shortage and support the development of a steady stream of compassionate and competent professionals ready to join the community workforce,鈥� said Anmy Mayfield, LSH vice president and dean for the College of Nursing. 鈥淥ur high-quality health and nursing programs, offered via the affordable and flexible competency-based model of education, along with this in-person experiential learning facility encourage the development of a patient-centric approach to ultimately yield high patient-outcomes in the region.鈥�

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) that more than 65,000 qualified applications (not applicants) were turned away from schools of nursing nationwide in 2023. While AACN mentions that the students submitting these applications may have been accepted and enrolled elsewhere, the report emphasizes that a multitude of reasons stall nurse education, including the lack of infrastructure and faculty. With infrastructural challenges to high-quality nursing education as the backdrop, 黑料网鈥檚 Indiana simulation center is a strategic investment located in the heart of the region to provide face-to-face faculty instruction and clinical training to students within and around their communities.

鈥淭he Indianapolis simulation center鈥檚 strategic proximity to regional students promotes learning without uprooting lives and thus breaks barriers to in-person, practical education, especially for nontraditional and working students,鈥� said Kimberly Kelly-Cortez, LSH senior associate dean and director of the nursing prelicensure program. 鈥淲ith upskilling and reskilling the healthcare workforce as a prime goal for LSH, we鈥檙e opening doors for more students to build and advance their nursing careers and make a difference to the region鈥檚 overall health landscape.鈥�

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 6% of the RN workforce over the next decade, with about 194,500 job openings each year, nurse retirements and workforce exits are factored into the number of nurses needed nationwide. The BLS also projects a 46% growth in the number of over the next decade, with about 135,000 job openings.

黑料网鈥檚 LSH is steadily expanding its roster of competency-based health sciences and nursing programs. These include the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Prelicensure program 鈥� presently available in 24 states and counting 鈥� that adds new RNs to the workforce, various NP programs that require advanced clinical training to meet patient needs, and other innovative programs under consideration and development. In this region, the school has graduated more than 17,000 students, with more than 6,000 of those from Indiana.

鈥淚 always wanted to become a nurse and serve the healthcare industry but was only able to pursue my dream after I learned about 黑料网 through a coworker,鈥� said Samantha Conor-Mattes, 黑料网鈥檚 BSN Prelicensure graduate from Indianapolis. 鈥淭he program鈥檚 flexibility and my mentor鈥檚 support helped me realize my goal without giving up my job. Attending the skills labs was the highlight of the program for me because it helped me develop focus and aptitude for clinicals 鈥� a must-have before entering the field of nursing.鈥�

With clinical training being a critical component for a variety of health and nursing programs, 黑料网 is steadily investing in infrastructure to promote the attainment of education within and around communities for a potential increase in local and regional employment. Along with establishing its own simulation centers, the university partners with healthcare employers in communities for training sites and clinical faculty and staff. 黑料网 currently owns simulation centers in Houston, TX, , and Kansas City, MO, with additional facilities in the pipeline. Learn more about 黑料网鈥檚 BSN Prelicensure program and different health sciences and nurse practitioner programs.

About Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH): The school, named in of the former governor of Utah and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, was established in 2006 with the mission to make a difference in the fields of healthcare, nursing, and higher education through competency-based education. The school conferred 5.4% of all bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing across the country during the 2022-2023 academic year. According to the , LSH represents more than 170,000 jobs in the healthcare industry and the school produced 17% of the nation鈥檚 registered nurses earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2021. The school has also been recognized for its by Platte County, Missouri. With more than 100,000 graduates and over 118,000 degrees already conferred by LSH, the school presently serves nearly 25,000 students nationwide. Learn more at Leavitt School of Health (wgu.edu).

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