The four-story Jerusalem-stone and stucco Schwartz Center features classrooms and clinical practice labs, seminar and conference rooms, two computer labs, and a simulation academy, all equipped with the latest technology. The spacious 53,000-square-foot facility supports the work of more than 40 nurse scientists and clinical educators and our 500 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the school’s nursing and health science programs annually. The building opened in fall 2006.

The International Academy for Clinical Simulation and Research is the nation’s first comprehensive, high-fidelity simulation center designed for nursing and health science education. Encompassing 5,500 square feet on the second and third floors, the academy features: a three-bed simulation suite, a seven-bed adult laboratory, a seven-bed pediatric laboratory, a micro-simulation computer lab, and a conference room. Academy facilities replicate a variety of clinical settings including ICU, CCU, ER, OR/Perianesthesia, and Neonatal ICU, and “patients” include a full complement of high-fidelity simulators representing a range of ages and ethnic groups.

Ceiling-mounted cameras and other strategically placed video equipment record simulation activities for subsequent viewing and transmit activities in real time for observation by students and faculty in the academy’s conference room as well as three interlinked “smart” classrooms. The academy’s 24-station micro-simulation computer laboratory enables students to practice basic skills and review patient scenarios through CD-ROM programs and Web-based resources.

The Drs. Virginia and Roger Medel Center for Pediatric Safety and Research supports education and research programs that foster quality neonatal and pediatric evidence-based practice. Research is conducted across age groups, from neonates to adolescents, with a family approach to health care. Center programs enable students to develop the skills and knowledge required to provide culturally competent care to children and their families. The center features a high-fidelity pediatric simulation lab and six faculty offices.

Three high-technology classrooms offer an interactive learning environment and opportunities for distance instruction with clinical and educational partners around the globe. Each room features multi-functional presentation technology, allowing faculty to utilize the full range of computer-based instructional capabilities available today. Two side-by-side rooms on the first floor, 1,740 square feet each with a seating capacity of 96 individuals per room, are linked electronically to an 88-seat, 1,330-square-foot room on the third floor, creating a large “cyber auditorium.” With a combined total of 280 seats, this “cyber auditorium” is available for classes and presentations by visiting speakers.

The Schwartz Center has been designed by Bermello, Ajamil & Partners, an internationally recognized multi-disciplinary A/E firm based in South Florida. The firm specializes in health care, education, civic, and environmental projects.

The realization of a dream over fifty years in the making, this special facility is the result of the visionary leadership and perseverance of a dedicated group of alumni, students, administrators, and community members.

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