UB's School of Nursing Celebrates New Home and Ongoing Commitment to 21st Century Nursing Education

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo School of Nursing welcomed guests to its new home at a grand opening reception today that included tours of its new clinical facilities in Wende Hall on UB's South Campus.

The $7.1 million renovation of historic Wende Hall has transformed it into a user-friendly, energy-efficient and dynamic setting for 21st century nursing education. The facility includes state-of-the-art classrooms, instructional laboratories and research space, along with new elevator, air conditioning and heating systems. The teaching spaces in the building include a center for nursing research, three specialized laboratories, faculty offices, and student and employee lounges.

The School of Nursing's grand opening ceremony included renewed commitments by UB officials to provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive education for nursing students as nurses take on more responsibilities in the ever-changing health care industry. The school has fully occupied Wende Hall and is holding classes there this semester.

"With the well-documented shortage of nurses, education preparation becomes even more important to the health and well-being of our community," said David L. Dunn, vice president for health sciences. "And the newly renovated Wende Hall is critical in our plans for educating nurses."

On hand for the grand opening were nursing school alumni, students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the health care community. Guests toured Wende Hall's state-of-the-art simulation labs -- equipped with talking "patient" mannequins -- and examination rooms now central in the School of Nursing's revised curriculum.

"The vision of our School of Nursing is to be among the top 25 nursing schools in the country, recognized for our commitment to leadership and quality," said Jean Brown, dean of the School of Nursing. "Our mission is to produce outstanding clinicians and researchers who meet the needs of our society. We seek a highly collaborative faculty with seamlessly integrated clinical and research practices.

"The role of nurses has continued to expand with time," she added. "Today, nurses provide primary patient care, initiate treatment and make independent decisions about prevention and rehabilitation."

The nursing school's move to the renovated Wende Hall from Kimball Tower on the South Campus represents another milestone in the UB 2020 plan to improve university facilities, and enhance living and learning spaces on UB's three campuses, said UB Provost Satish K. Tripathi.

"As part of UB 2020's master physical plan 'Building UB,' we are developing new learning spaces and facilities such as what we now have in Wende Hall. We know that these state-of-the art physical improvements will make UB competitive with the very best universities in the nation," he said.

The new facilities at Wende include more than 4,000 square feet for the Center for Nursing Research (CNR) to support the school's emphasis on research as an essential tool for educating nurses to meet the needs of patients. An operating suite for the school's anesthesia program will advance UB's nursing education into the 21st century and will prepare nurses to be key members of integrated health care teams in a variety of health settings.

The School of Nursing's move to Wende Hall is consistent with the UB 2020 plan to locate all five of UB's health sciences schools on one campus. Renovations are now underway to remake nearby Acheson Hall into the new home for UB's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, which is currently located on UB's North Campus.

With its stone facade, Wende Hall, constructed in 1885 and expanded in 1955, will become part of the School of Nursing's identity, after the school spent more than 30 years occupying the upper floors of Kimball Tower.

Brown noted that the expanding role of nurses -- along with the well-documented nationwide nursing shortage -- means nursing schools face a serious challenge to train qualified nurses. The high morbidity rates that have been linked to nursing shortages mean nothing less than saving lives is at stake, she said.

To keep up with these demands, the UB School of Nursing has initiated numerous program innovations, including an accelerated bachelor of science program -- a resource-efficient, second-degree program that produces new graduates in 12 months. The school also offers two programs leading to a bachelor's degree in nursing, and seven master's programs including five nurse practitioner programs, a clinical nurse specialist program and a nurse anesthesia program. All master's programs are currently being converted to the clinical-focused Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program, expected to be offered in fall 2010, while the school currently offers the research-focused Doctor of Philosophy degree program.

The school's innovative Dedicated Education Units or DEUs is a new curriculum in which hospital administrators, nurse-clinicians and UB faculty combine their experience to give students a relevant and interdisciplinary clinical experience. This approach also emphasizes patient simulation, a concept UB's new labs are well-equipped to handle. This approach includes the use of UB's talking patient mannequins (nicknamed Samson and Homer), designed to give students a realistic view of what they can expect in clinical settings.

In addition, School of Nursing faculty members have formed research/scholarly teams to encourage and support collaboration. The new offices in Wende Hall have been designed to help faculty organize around this cooperative approach.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.