The Indiana University Board of Trustees approved a renovation project at its February meeting for the IU School of Nursing at IUPUI to roughly double existing teaching and simulation capacity while providing an enhanced student experience.
Thomas A. Morrison, IU vice president for capital planning and facilities, and Robin P. Newhouse, dean of the IU School of Nursing, presented the request. The project, totaling approximately 31,000 gross square feet in the nursing building on the IUPUI campus, will supplement existing facilities that are currently at capacity.
Renovations will focus primarily on the third floor of the building, adding one skills lab, four simulation rooms, 10 debrief rooms and seven practice exam rooms. The size of the existing teaching lab also will be doubled via relocation to a larger space on the same floor.
The renovations include creating support areas such as a student locker and changing room, patient locker and changing room, and storage. Restroom renovations and instructional equipment are also part of the project.
Improvements to the second and first floors will include new office spaces, corridor updates, refurbishment of an existing student informal learning space, and creation of new informal learning and group study spaces.
“Nursing practice requires high levels of knowledge, skill and science application to optimize health for people, families and communities,” Newhouse said. “As we increase undergraduate enrollment by 50%, renovations of the Nursing Skills and Simulation Center Labs are essential. Renovations will enhance student success by providing opportunities to gain experience in real world situations and prepare our students for practice as an IU nurse.”
