Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - Aurora University (AU) is located in Aurora, Illinois, which is 35 miles west of Chicago and the second largest city in the state. As the sixth largest private university in Illinois, the institution enrolls approximately 6,000 degree-seeking students each year, with more than 3,600 full-time undergraduate students. The School of Nursing, AU’s largest undergraduate population, has a total of nearly 800 students. Aurora University is one of only 15 federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) in the state. AU plays a critical role in opening the doors to higher education for a diverse student population that includes DREAMERS. Overall, 38% of AU students are Latinx, while 43% of nursing students identify as such. In addition, 53% of all AU students are the first in their family to attend college. That percentage matches nursing students, 53% of whom are also the first in their family to pursue a four-year degree. Illinois is facing a significant shortage of nurses. According to the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center, about 52% of current RNs are over 55 years of age, meaning many are on the cusp of retiring. AU’s successes and competency in nursing will be the state’s gain. The nursing program has proven to be one of the most viable pipelines for nursing graduates throughout northern Illinois and the state. In the spring of 2021, AU created plans for the School of Nursing Center for Immersive Learning in response to COVID-19, and to create resiliency, sustainability, and continued success in preparing and graduating nurses who are job-ready on day one. The new Center for Immersive Learning will provide hands-on training opportunities for AU’s nursing students by bridging the theories and knowledge of the classroom with the real world of application. Comprised of a new technology immersive classroom, complete with virtual reality and student collaboration stations, two new skills labs where students acquire foundational skills directly connected to patient care, and an expansion of the simulation lab, to include additional simulations to allow students the opportunity to enhance their critical decision making skills in highly realistic patient care scenarios. The primary focus for use of the federal dollars is on advanced academic technology directly impacting learning outcomes. An additional, and significant, benefit of the new simulation equipment will be more closely replicating the diversity of patients AU’s nursing students will see in the workplace. The current AU simulation manikins were purchased in 2006 and are operating with outdated technology. Planned purchases include young and adult male and female manikins of varying ages and ethnicities, as well as specialty equipment such as a mother manikin that provides an opportunity for scenarios during obstetrical rotations. These new state-of-the-art manikins will realistically mimic medical conditions and real-world healthcare scenarios. And the number of manikins will be expanded, allowing students more one-on-one, immersive learning experiences where they are the nurse actively managing the patient as opposed to observing other students engaging in simulations. The nursing program at AU is made up a diverse body of students who wish to make a positive impact on the medical outcomes of their community, both locally and statewide. The Center for Immersive Learning will enable them to learn in an atmosphere and with methodology that provides for a comprehensive understanding of the cultural needs and sensitivities of the multitude of patients they will care for throughout their careers. And as the students enrolled in AU’s nursing program continue to reflect the changing demographics of society, they will contribute to the diversity in the workforce and meet the need for bilingual nurses. With its strong nursing program and dedicated student base, AU is addressing the identified need for more nurses in Illinois.
