A New Center of Opportunity in Nursing Education

In February 2020, Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) and Memorial Health System (MHS) announced a nursing education partnership to address the regional nursing shortage in the Midwest. None of us knew that in just a few short weeks that our lives, and what we would ask of the nursing community, would change forever. 

A $6.1 million gift from MHS allowed LLCC to renovate and equip the west half of Montgomery Hall for a new nursing center. One of our primary goals was to increase the number of registered nurses to serve our communities' healthcare facilities. As we programmed the spaces, we were unsure as to what nursing and the healthcare industry would look like in five-10 weeks let alone five-10 years.   

Later in the spring of 2020, we embarked on a project with a series of challenges that would become opportunities. Delays in the supply chain for construction materials, shortages in skilled trades, and ever-shifting COVID-19 mitigation requirements created a perfect storm of uncertainty as to when and how a project of this size could be completed. During early design, many meetings were held remotely, and our biggest concern was that something would be conveyed incorrectly and lead to miscommunication regarding the intent and design of the space. 

Montgomery Hall sits on the south side of LLCC’s main campus in Springfield, Illinois. The building was originally opened in 2001 and designed to be a combination of a leasable open office and seminar space and serve other administrative functions at LLCC. The east half of the building was renovated in 2012 to house CNA labs, surgical technology labs, classrooms, and office spaces to support these healthcare training programs. The west half (consisting of approximately 12,000 square feet) was still being used as leasable space but was largely underutilized. 

The existing location of the nursing program was a few buildings away on the second floor of the Millennium Center. Its location and layout were insufficient given the current needs and future growth of the program. LLCC offers an associate degree nursing (ADN) program, which provides training and clinical experience for a career as a registered professional nurse (RN), as well as programs in practical nursing (LPN), LPN to RN transition, and nurse assistant (CNA). Moving the nursing program to Montgomery Hall helped to centralize the college’s on-campus health professions programs into Montgomery and Logan Halls on the same side of campus. 

As we worked with Demonica-Kemper Architects to develop the program and physical requirements of the spaces, flexibility and adaptability were of key importance. Being able to have large, open connectible spaces that would simulate a real-world nursing environment was critical. We incorporated flexibility by installing an operable wall between two large classroom spaces to allow for two separate classrooms of 48 or one large group of 96. Each room would also be able to share content with remote learners.

Each of the three primary simulation labs has an adjacent viewing room and integrates Laerdal technology to incorporate training on simulation mannequins, vitals monitors, and audio and visual recording. This Laerdal system allows instructors to send commands to the simulation mannequins to spike blood pressure, simulate cardiac arrest, etc., and record room audio and video. A briefing room adjacent to the sim labs has a large conference table and TV to allow for a review of these cloud-based simulations with each student one-on-one. In addition to these three primary simulation labs, a practice lab where students could work on improving their skills if the primary sim labs were being used by another class was also provided. 

Ten shared faculty offices (for 20 total faculty), administrative assistants, the associate dean of nursing, and other support spaces in this renovated area give students immediate access to the faculty and staff in this program. 

“One of our primary goals was to increase the number of registered nurses to serve our communities' healthcare facilities. As we programmed the spaces, we were unsure as to what nursing and the healthcare industry would look like in five-10 weeks let alone five-10 years.”

The large, centrally located nursing skills lab pulls “double duty” by providing access to 10 skilled nursing training beds as well as seated lecture-style learning at a large-format TV. Students can come together and learn about a new nursing skill via teacher instruction during lectures and walk just a few feet to practice that skill in the same room. Simulated nurses’ stations, simulation headwalls, prescription dispensers, mannequins, and other training aids closely mirror the real-world application of nursing skills. 

The entry to Montgomery Hall has a large volume that through the installation of new furniture and finishes allows students to better use the space for lounge and study time in between classes. This large entry corridor also has a direct connection to the previously renovated CNA and surgical tech labs and classrooms to improve connectivity throughout LLCC Health Professions. Energy-efficient upgrades such as new water-source mechanical units, LED lighting, daylight harvesting, and automatic lighting dimming were also incorporated. 

This project allowed us to be on the cutting edge of what nursing was becoming. As techniques and skills were evolving to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic, we were agile enough to design spaces that were forward-thinking, flexible, technology-rich, and inviting.  The project was completed in advance of the fall 2021 semester and allows 90 additional students to enroll in LLCC’s nursing program each year, for a total of 215 new nursing students annually. Its opening marked the 50^th anniversary of the LLCC nursing program, and we know will help fill the much-needed demand for nurses in our community.