Nevada State College is working diligently with the State Legislature and the public to secure funds to build a facility dedicated to nursing.

The need for a Nursing and Science building is driven by the critical shortage of nursing graduates throughout the country.  According to the Council on Physician and Nurse  Supply, 30% more nurses need to graduate annually in order to meet the nation’s healthcare needs.  To help with this acute healthcare crisis, Nevada State College needs to build a facility that will help accommodate more nursing students and provide them with a quality learning environment.

A building dedicated to nursing will enable Nevada State College to serve more students and provide them with facilities that are needed to help them become outstanding health care professionals. Dr. Carpenter, the Dean of Nursing has great hopes for the new facility. “The Nursing & Science Building will help establish a sense of academic mission and place on campus,” said Dean Carpenter.  “The new facility will incorporate sustainable design features across the natural environment, foster reflection through the use of indoor and outdoor contemplation areas, and exhibit our interconnected, holistic approach to the profession.”

Nevada State College has requested $30 million from the state and is working with community members to secure the rest of the funds needed for the proposed $40 million, 60,000 square foot Nursing and Science Building will be the second building located on the College’s more than 500-acre campus site in the foothills of Henderson. The three-story building will feature eleven classrooms, gross laboratories, computer lab and media center, faculty offices, conference room, multi-purpose room and a lecture hall.

Nursing continues to be NSC’s most popular program. The number of students enrolled in the nursing program tripled since its inception in 2003. The College offers three enrollment tracks for its nursing students including a one-year accelerated track for those students who already have their bachelor’s degree in another field. As of spring 2008, the School of Nursing has graduated 324 nurses. Most of the College’s nursing graduates work for Las Vegas area hospitals and clinics. “Students are finding our nursing program to be a good fit for their needs, which is a promising thing to see, as their education will have an overall positive impact on our entire community,” said Dr. Maryanski, president of Nevada State College. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2016. The new Nursing and Science Building will aid Nevada’s nursing students and citizens by providing facilities needed to prepare the next generation of nurses.

To learn more about the Nursing & Science Building Campaign and how to help, please contact Russell Raker, Director of Development at (702) 992-2356 or russell.raker@nsc.nevada.edu