Starting Off on the Right Foot

Nursing education is a moving target, shaped by advances in healthcare practice, technology, and accreditation requirements. Peer benchmarking grounded in nursing-specific curriculum and accreditation requirements provides valuable insights during programming. By understanding how similar institutions have approached space allocation, simulation fidelity, and support functions helps identify scope pinch points before they become cost or schedule risks.

Because the size of a nursing program’s undergraduate cohort and its skills lab square footage are closely linked, we are able to leverage this relationship to help institutions quickly estimate space and cost needs during early planning.

Specialized Budgets for a Specialized Program

Budgets for nursing facilities differ from typical academic buildings. They face costs associated with unique furniture, fixtures, equipment, simulation technology, and audiovisual capture systems. Early and accurate cost modeling for these elements is critical. Integrating FFE, simulation equipment, and technology planning early in the design process allows the team to balance performance and budget, avoid late-stage surprises, and support informed decision-making throughout delivery.

Human-Centered Design Choices

For both students and faculty, nursing education in action is active and experiential. The environment is simultaneously demanding, supportive, and based on an active learning mindset. Creating spaces to support this activity and culture should be front of mind for design teams.

For students, preparation for a career in nursing requires hands-on experiences that mirror professional realities. Exposure to the environments, technology, and professional realities can prepare them to act. Our design teams work hand-in-hand with academic leaders to create “a convincing place to start” and “a safe place to fail,” enabling students to stress-test and improve their skills and emotional maturity in an environment that is safe and supportive.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Princess Anne, MD. Photo by Brad Feinknopf.

Rather than attempting to predict every future condition, the most effective projects create a framework that allows institutions to shape their own future. We’ve found that spaces that support experiential learning and effective operations lead to a successful design that empowers students. Our experience delivering nursing and health education facilities has reinforced several key lessons that reflect the evolving nature of nursing education and the importance of aligning space, curriculum, operations, and delivery methods from the earliest stages of design.