This has been the first semester at Towson University when students in the school’s College of Health Professions have used a brand-new building filled with state-of-the-art simulation technology, meditative gardens and collaborative workspaces.
The new building for the College of Health Professions is designed to mimic a professional health care setting, like a hospital, and prepare students to begin their careers as health workers.
The new building includes simulation labs that feel like walking into the wing of a hospital or a primary care office. University officials said the building, including those simulation labs, will help students contribute to the health care workforce. Maryland is grappling with a nursing shortage and some of the longest wait times in emergency rooms in the country.
Lisa Plowfield, the dean of the College of Health Professions, and herself a nurse, said the new facility will help Towson attract students to its nursing program and its other health care programs.
“We’ve built something really special for the students here. This is an investment for the students,” she said.
Here’s more about the building, by the numbers.
175
The number of new practicing nurses who graduate from Towson each year, on average. That number includes undergraduate and graduate students. The university is the second-largest producer of bedside nurses in Maryland.
The university also graduates about 100 RN-to-BSN students each year. They are students who already have an associate degree in nursing.
$192 million
The total cost of the project, which began construction in late 2021. The funding was split between the state and philanthropic sources, including large gifts from Fran Soistman, a university alum, and The Kahlert Foundation.
In 2021, just months before kicking off construction of the building, Towson opened a $162 million complex for science classes and programs.
240,000
The total size in square feet of the building, including 14,600 square feet of simulation space. There’s also a 350-seat auditorium, a cafe with outdoor seating, a virtual cadaver lab and abundant natural lighting and plants.
University officials said they wanted the building to reflect health, for patients and for future practitioners. The building has a dedicated “makerspace” for the occupational therapy program, where students can practice crafting specialized equipment for future patients.
24
The number of programs in Towson’s College of Health Professions. That includes its nursing programs, a public health program, an audiology doctorate, a physician assistant program and the state’s only occupational therapy education program.
More than 3,500 Towson students, including graduate and undergraduate students, have their primary or only major in the college.
3
The number of rooftop gardens on the building. They’re designed for respite — so students have somewhere to relax after stressful clinical simulations, for example — and for education.
A therapeutic garden provides a space for occupational therapy students to practice working with patients who, for example, need help working outdoors.
3
The number of high-tech simulation labs. They are facsimiles of an acute care facility, a multipatient care facility (such as an emergency department) and a primary care facility.
Those simulation labs are equipped with patient mannequins that can be programmed to demonstrate medical conditions from seizures to congestive heart failure. The mannequins will cough, blink and even give a pulse for students to practice.
Susan King, an assistant professor and simulation coordinator, said the labs provide a safe space for students to make mistakes and practice working in a clinical environment.
In addition to the simulation labs, the building also has classrooms and labs where students can practice fundamental skills such as taking blood pressure. Many health care students are required to participate in off-site clinical education — these on-campus facilities are meant to enhance that, not replace it.
“I’m just thrilled to see the excitement and watch the students come into this space,” Plowfield said. “This building was built thinking about the impact of the environment and nature on one’s health. It’s all about putting students in the best space for learning.”
