Western Governors University’s (WGU) Michael O. Leavitt School of
Health (LSH) today opened a new nursing simulation and learning
laboratory in Kansas City, Missouri, that will provide
high-quality, clinical nursing education to students from Missouri,
Kansas, and Iowa.
The lab is part of WGU’s efforts to address the nursing shortage
crisis in the United States by expanding access to education,
helping students gain degrees that position them to serve their
communities, and advancing health equity with additional competent
professionals to the community workforce. With the launch of this
laboratory, the university aims to train and educate more than 500
new nurses in the region by 2026, and up to 3,000 per year in the
long-term.
“We commend Western Governors University for its efforts to
support critical workforce needs while also expanding higher
education opportunities,” said Gov. Mike Parson, who signed
legislation providing $2 million in state funds for the Missouri
nursing simulation and learning laboratory. “Nurses are vital to
improving health outcomes in our state and region, and WGU’s
innovative educational options will help more individuals who wish
to fill crucial roles in the future of our state.”
The nearly 18,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility features
advanced hi-fidelity medical education simulation equipment across
five simulation rooms and two skills labs with 17 patient beds,
four patient exam rooms, five student-focused debriefing rooms, and
a large multipurpose room for training and teaching. The total cost
of the Missouri lab, inclusive of construction and equipment,
exceeded $5 million. WGU received a $2 million grant for the lab's
construction, thanks to the generous support from Gov. Mike Parson
and the Missouri General Assembly. This grant was administered in
partnership with the Missouri Department of Higher Education and
Workforce Development. WGU provided the remaining funds in
alignment with plans to expand access to LSH’s innovative nursing
programs nationwide.
Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that the
U.S. could have a shortfall of direct patient care nurses ranging
from 200,000 to 450,000 by 2025. The U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics echoes similar projections and reports that employment
opportunities for nurses will grow at 9 percent, faster than all
other occupations from 2016 through 2026. According to the Missouri
Hospital Association’s 2023 Workforce Report, the staff registered
nurse (R.N.) vacancy increased to 17.4 percent in 2023 from 11
percent in 2019. The Kansas Department of Labor Occupational
Outlook data also states that R.N.s are expected to witness the
largest number of new jobs with more than 3,100 positions expected
to be created by 2030. In Iowa, the jobs for R.N.s and nursing
assistants dominate the market. According to Radio Iowa, 13 percent
of U.S. nursing homes that closed in 2022 were in Iowa.
“This new nursing laboratory reflects WGU’s commitment to
expanding access and preparing nurses who serve on the front lines
of healthcare, that are needed both now and, in the future,” said
WGU’s Chief Academic Officer and Provost Dr. Courtney Hills McBeth.
“Because our model adapts to students' needs and pacing instead of
relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, we can help our students
fulfill their career dreams, often more quickly, so they can begin
working to meet the healthcare needs of their communities.
"This lab would not have been possible without the support of so
many people. I’d like to congratulate my WGU colleagues and offer
deepest thanks to Gov. Mike Parson, the Missouri General Assembly,
the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce
Development, Missouri Partnership, Kansas City Area Development
Council, Platte County Economic Development Council and all our
Missouri and local Kansas City partners.”
Missouri Hospital Association data shows more than 10,000
nursing students were enrolled in Missouri prelicensure programs in
2020; however, nearly 1,300 qualified applicants were turned away.
According to the Missouri State Board of Nursing the state’s nurse
faculty shortages are more than critical. The situation, though, is
not limited to a single state. The American Association of Colleges
of Nursing (AACN) reports that more than 65,000 qualified
applications (not applicants) were turned away from schools of
nursing nationwide in 2023. While AACN mentions that the students
submitting these applications may have been accepted and enrolled
elsewhere, the report emphasizes that a multitude of reasons stall
nurse education, including the lack of infrastructure and faculty.
WGU’s Leavitt School of Health and its clinical sites are designed
to add capacity and offer flexible, affordable options for nursing
students.
WGU expanded the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Prelicensure)
degree program in 2023 to add new competent nurses to the workforce
and address the workforce shortage gripping the country. The
program is available in 17 states, including Missouri, Kansas, and
Iowa, and the number continues to grow. These regional nursing
laboratories are easily approachable for students and promote the
concept of attaining education within and around community, that,
in turn, aims to boost in-community and regional employment. These
laboratories will initially serve the university’s prelicensure
students, followed by students enrolled in the various master’s
degree nurse practitioner programs. With the launch and expansion
of these innovative programs, WGU aims to add more than 3,000 newly
qualified nursing graduates to the workforce by 2027.
“Infrastructure and faculty shortages are gigantic challenges
that cripple the healthcare system and lead to limited student
enrollments and, ultimately, result in the lack of competent
professionals. WGU is removing these barriers that prevent access
to nursing degrees to grow the pipeline of new, highly qualified
nurses that are well-prepared to enter the workforce and serve the
communities in which they live,” said LSH Senior Associate Dean and
Director of Undergraduate Programs Kimberly Kelly-Cortez. “LSH
nursing labs are the simulation and learning centers focused on
upskilling and reskilling the workforce.”
The establishment of this laboratory will not only serve the
aspiring students within and around their communities, but also
boost the economy of Missouri. Platte County, where the laboratory
opened, is among the fastest-growing counties in Missouri. In
collaboration with the state and local leaders and health
advocates, the Missouri nursing laboratory aims to address the high
demand for healthcare professionals, both nationally and
regionally, in the Kansas City metropolitan area. These simulation
and learning centers include various simulation tools, models,
patient mannequins, and training experts to impart practical,
patient-focused education that boosts expertise to yield competent
professionals.
Presently enrolled in WGU’s BSN Prelicensure program, Kayla
Stroup from Clever, Missouri, said, “I am excited to be able to
attend my practical classes at the new nursing laboratory in
Missouri. I have been visiting the university’s out-of-state
laboratory and that is a great place to learn, but having this
location, right within my reach, is such great news. This will not
only significantly reduce my travel time and cost, but also enhance
the overall experience of learning in my home state.”
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing states that
approximately 100,000 R.N.s left the workforce since the COVID-19
pandemic and more than 600,000 intend to leave by 2027 because of
stress, burnout, and retirement. Because nurses are leaving the
field, increasing access, removing barriers, and expanding
innovative, high-quality health and nurse education programs that
positively impact society are prime LSH goals.
WGU’s Missouri lab will enhance rural and urban health equity
and benefit the health system of the regions served. In 2023, WGU
received the Platte County Business Excellence Award for its
efforts to positively impact the quality of life and the region’s
job market with the establishment of the Missouri nursing
laboratory. The university launched its first nursing simulation
laboratory in Houston, Texas, in 2019 and opened a new facility
last year in Salt Lake City, Utah, with additional laboratories
scheduled to open next year.
About Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH):
The school, named in honor of the former governor of Utah and
former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, was established
in 2006 with the mission to make a difference in the fields of
healthcare, nursing, and higher education through competency-based
education. According to the Utah Foundation Research Brief, LSH
represents more than 170,000 jobs in the healthcare industry and
the school produced a whopping 17 percent of the nation’s
registered nurses earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2021.
With more than 100,000 graduates and over 115,000 degrees already
conferred by LSH, the school presently serves nearly 25,000
students nationwide. Learn more at Leavitt School of Health
(wgu.edu).
About Western Governors University (WGU): A nonprofit,
online university established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a
mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher
education, WGU now serves more than 175,000 students nationwide and
has awarded more than 365,000 degrees to nearly 328,000
graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s
leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the
White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that
works in postsecondary education. In less than 30 years, the
university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of
individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in
today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named
one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been
featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News and CNN and in The New York
Times. Learn more at wgu.edu and wgu.edu/impact.
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Anchal Nayyar
Western Governors University
3854284665
anchal.nayyar@wgu.edu