Rockland Community College (RCC) has started construction on a new $3 million Nursing Simulation Lab on its campus at 145 College Road in Suffern. RCC says that the new facility will significantly expand hands-on training opportunities and help prepare the next generation of nurses for in-demand health care careers.
A groundbreaking ceremony, in which sledge hammers were used to break into walls, took place at the college’s Technology Building.
“Our nation is experiencing a critical nursing shortage with nearly 200,000 projected openings for registered nurses every year over the next decade,” Dr. William Mullaney, president of RCC said. “This new lab will allow our students to practice critical decision making, refine their clinical judgment and gain confidence before they ever step foot in a hospital or clinical setting. The skills they gain in this building will ripple out for decades, strengthening hospitals, long-term facilities and community health centers across the region. Together, we’re not only breaking ground, we’re building the future of health care in Rockland County.”
The new lab will be about 5,000 square feet, five times the size of the previous space. The new lab will be located on the second floor of the Technology Building in space that has been used for the former laboratory and classrooms. Students are expected to begin using the new facility in the fall of this year.
The new lab will feature simulators capable of replicating complex patient conditions and physiological responses, including childbirth, seizures and medical emergencies. There are more than 515 students currently enrolled in RCC’s nursing program. RCC says that the expanded simulation capacity will allow the college to run multiple scenarios back-to-back, giving more students repeated, skill-building practice in a safe learning environment.
