Tulane Nursing Program opens new downtown hub built for the future of patient care

Tulane University has opened a newly renovated, 25,000-square-foot home for the Tulane University School of Medicine Program of Nursing on its growing downtown campus, expanding the university's capacity to prepare nurses for high-demand careers in New Orleans and across Louisiana.

Designed to reflect real patient-care environments, the facility features advanced nursing skills and simulation labs, flexible classrooms and dedicated spaces for practice, study and collaboration.

"This new, state-of-the-art facility represents another major step in the transformation of our downtown campus into a national hub for academic medicine, healthcare education and innovation," President Michael A. Fitts said. "Tulane Nursing is also an investment in the future of the workforce of New Orleans. We are creating new ways for students to build rewarding careers while providing hospitals and health systems with a growing pipeline of highly trained, practice-ready nurses."

Located on the fourth floor of the Downtown Campus Center (the former Tulane Medical Center building), the renovation gives Tulane Nursing a permanent home just two years after Tulane welcomed its first nursing students in fall 2024.

"From the very outset, our goal was to build a nursing program that was recognized as the gold standard for nursing education in our region," said Robin Forman, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "We knew that that would require facilities designed for this purpose, spaces that create opportunities for transformative learning and practice, and that take full advantage of the fact that our nursing program works collaboratively with one of the nation's great medical schools. This new space does all of that and more."

Unlike many nursing programs, Tulane's is offered through the School of Medicine, affording both nursing and medical students unique opportunities to develop critical skills for team-based healthcare. The new facility's location on Tulane's growing downtown campus will create more opportunities for nursing and medical students to train together through simulation exercises, standardized patient experiences and other shared activities.

"From the beginning, our goal has been to prepare nurses who can enter the workforce ready to make an immediate difference," said Lee Hamm, senior vice president and dean of the School of Medicine. "That means giving students the clinical judgment, technical skills and confidence they need to provide compassionate care for patients, while also preparing them to work as part of the larger healthcare team. This facility gives us an extraordinary environment to do that."

The nursing facility is part of a much larger effort that is reshaping Tulane's downtown campus.

"This is another important step in Tulane's unprecedented investment in downtown New Orleans," said Patrick Norton, Tulane's senior vice president, chief operating officer/treasurer and a leader of the university's downtown expansion. "From the new research laboratories in the Hutchinson Memorial Building to the renovation of the Downtown Campus Center and our plans for the former Charity building, we are transforming our downtown campus into a catalyst for research, economic growth and renewed vibrancy."

The accelerated nursing degree program, which is housed within the School of Medicine, allows students to complete the professional nursing curriculum in 16 months through four consecutive semesters, combining interactive coursework with extensive hands-on simulation and clinical education.

"For our students, faculty and staff, this new facility creates a true home for Tulane Nursing - a place to learn, teach, collaborate and build a strong sense of community," said Brenda Douglas, dean of the Tulane University School of Medicine Program of Nursing. "Students will have the space, technology and support to develop their skills with confidence, while faculty and staff will have a flexible, first-rate environment that strengthens teaching, mentorship and innovation."

At the center of the facility is a 12-bed clinical skills laboratory that quadruples the program's previous training capacity. The lab is equipped for high-fidelity simulation, allowing students to practice patient-care scenarios in a controlled setting before entering clinical environments.

Cameras and large video displays throughout the lab allow students to closely follow faculty demonstrations of complex procedures and then practice those skills themselves. Faculty can also observe student performance, assess clinical decision-making and provide immediate, individualized feedback.

A flexible community simulation room can be configured to replicate home care and other healthcare settings. Integrated audiovisual technology allows faculty to record and review student performance from a dedicated simulation control room, supporting observation and student feedback for continued skill development.

The facility also includes four flexible classrooms designed to accommodate cohorts of up to 72 students, along with a dedicated practice room, whiteboards throughout the space for collaborative learning, device-charging stations, lockers, collaborative gathering areas, a kitchen and break area.

The expanded space comes as Tulane broadens the pathways students can take into nursing. The program now includes a School of Professional Advancement track for students who meet the required prerequisites. Newcomb-Tulane College also has a track that allows current Tulane undergraduates to complete their core curriculum and nursing prerequisites before moving directly into the four-semester professional nursing program.

Tulane is also working with LCMC Health to make nursing education and employment more accessible in New Orleans. The LCMC Health - Tulane University Nurse Scholars Program will cover tuition costs for some Tulane Nursing graduates who commit to a paid position for at least two years as a full-time registered nurse at a matched LCMC Health facility.

Early outcomes from Tulane's nursing program have been strong. The program has maintained a 100% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination. All recent graduates have also accepted full-time nursing positions in New Orleans, providing an early indication that the program is adding nurses directly to the local workforce.