Nursing Building | West Texas A&M University

Construction Cost : $3.8 M | SF : 26,700 West Texas A&M University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences is a new state-of-the-art 26,700 square foot Nursing Skills, Competency and Simulation Facility located on the downtown Amarillo urban campus. The goals for this project were similar to those of Galveston College’s Nursing and Health Sciences facility, namely to provide an immersive Nursing and Allied Health facility that is flexible with cutting edge technology. Instructional classroom space is centrally located in both the Skills and Simulation Labs providing immersive collaborative pedagogy in situ surrounded by realistic exam tables, patient beds, ICU, NICU and L&D simulation rooms. The Skills and Simulation Labs imbue “Health Care on Display” through the use of significant glazing walls along the Lobby inviting both visitors and students of all degree programs to be fascinated by the health professionals being educated through these curricula. Once the initial class instruction is provided via state-of-the-art SMART Board technology, students move to the surrounding skills or simulation beds where the instructors have a clear and unobstructed view to each of the stations thereby reducing the number of required educators necessary. Securely and conveniently located immediately adjacent to the Skills and Simulation Labs, the spacious Lab Prep area houses multiple rows of full height wire shelving for the storage of mannequin parts and supplies with room for carts to flow around them. Laundry and a large industrial stainless-steel sink with drainboard are located in the Prep Room for the cleaning of mannequins, soiled linens and equipment prior to replacement on the shelving. A unique feature of the WTAMU CNHS facility was the multi-purpose design of Debriefing Rooms to double as Meeting Rooms for both faculty and students. These technology laden meeting rooms provide excellent environments for simulation debriefing, student collaboration and faculty meetings. When not in use by Nursing and Health Sciences, they can be scheduled for other seminar or conferencing needs if the College/Provost decides to. The Student Lounge/Study area