The Nicholls State University nursing department will have a new educational building built. The construction of the building is not yet underway and is still in the planning phase.

According to the Dean of the College of Nursing, Dr. Raquel Engolio, the building will cost 20 million dollars to build.

Engolio said, “I absolutely do think expanding this type of building will allow us to expand enrollment and the nursing program so we’ll be able to have more space for learning, more classroom space, more learning labs, more clinical skills labs, more faculty offices so with that yes we can have the capacity to enroll more students.”

Enrollment in the nursing program at Nicholls has been on the decline since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The decline in college enrollment nationwide is a contributing factor to the lack of students enrolled in nursing school.

According to bestcolleges.com, there was a decrease in enrollment approximately by 10 percent which means 1.9 million students.

According to the Nicholls Institutional Research website, prior to the pandemic, in the fall of 2019, there were 973 students enrolled in the nursing program. In the fall of 2020, enrollment dropped to 921 students. As of last semester, there were 713 students enrolled in the nursing program.

Engolio stated that the nursing department wants to create a space that helps meet their program outcomes through simulation and a student-centered facility.

“The equipment in the nursing lab that we want to see will have very state-of-the-art recordings and simulation of a part of simulation called debriefing,” said Engolio. “We want the students to be able to see how they performed doing skills and then view what they did great, areas that they’re very strong in and areas that they could develop and improve upon.”

Engolio said that she thinks providing nursing students with more scholarship opportunities could help improve enrollment. Students have to buy their uniforms.

Engolio stated that sponsoring a nursing uniform for students could be a way someone could help out. Students pay for gas money and they might have to travel long distances for clinicals.

“Financial support, I think is most helpful. That can help students become more interested and and see that nursing is an avenue that is reachable,” Engolio said.