A Home of Our Own

Renovations at Universities at Shady Grove

Provide Building Solely Dedicated to UMSON

BY GIORDANA SEGNERI

It has been 23 years since the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) opened its doors in Rockville, Maryland, and UMSON has been there from the start, occupying Building I along with other universities and programs since those first days.

This spring, UMSON completed a one-year substantial renovation to Building I to make it a space dedicated entirely to the School of Nursing, which represents the largest program at USG, with 447 students. The space is essential, as UMSON’s presence at USG has continued to grow over the past two decades. In 2000, UMSON admitted 20 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students per semester at USG; in fall 2022, the entering BSN class hit 100, with a goal of 110 for the coming fall, as UMSON aims to educate more nurses to address the workforce shortage. In addition, the

School rolled out its Doctor of Nursing

Practice Family Nurse Practitioner specialty at USG in 2017, increasing the number of critical primary care providers that the School graduates. The $8.2 million renovation project, funded in part by the University System of Maryland, UMSON, USG, Bill and Joanne Conway’s Bedford Falls Foundation, and a Health Resources and Services Administration grant through U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s office, expands UMSON’s space in the building by approximately 12,000 square feet, for a total of 27,000 square feet. The increased space will support expanded teaching and learning capabilities through a five-room hospital suite; a multi-purpose room designed for flexible simulation needs; and upgraded classrooms and offices, including a suite for the Office of Academic and Career Services. These spaces are in addition to eight existing state-of-the-art simulation laboratories that underwent a significant upgrade in 2017.

The project design, despite working within the limitations of a more than 20-year-old building, includes sustainable features such as airflow that responds to room occupancy, energy-efficient LED lighting with occupancy sensors, and water-saving plumbing fixtures.

“We are very excited about this expansion,” said Jana Goodwin, PhD, RN, CNE, assistant professor and chair of the UMSON program at USG. “The new simulation spaces, especially, will allow us to be innovative and creative in the ways we safely prepare nurses and nurse practitioners for the workforce. To be immersed in an environment that so closely mirrors practice is an invaluable learning experience.”