ORLANDO, Fla. — AdventHealth University cut the ribbon on a new 45,000 square foot simulation center on Thursday, a facility designed to help address a looming nursing shortage in Florida.
The state is projected to need 60,000 additional nurses by 2030. AdventHealth University President and CEO Dr. C. Josef Ghosn said the new building is a direct response to that need.
“We have registered this year over 2,300 students, about 900 of them will be nursing,” Ghosn said.
Inside the center, students train using high-tech manikins that blink, breathe, and talk back. Some are AI-powered, meaning they learn and respond as students interact with them. The manikins can simulate a stroke, a heart attack, or childbirth, complete with sound and motion.
“Through this facility that you see here behind us, we will train those people so they can deliver whole person care to the community of Central Florida,” Ghosn said.
Julia Martins is a student at AHU currently enrolled in the ASN nursing program. She said the technology gives students room to learn without the pressure of a real patient.
“I really like the fact that I can mess up here instead of messing up in the hospital, because that’s better,” Martins said.
The facility is designed primarily for undergraduate nursing education, though physician assistant and nurse practitioner students will also use the space.
Tuition at AHU can range from 20,000 to 100,000 dollars, depending on the program. Ghosn said the university offers financial aid, and AdventHealth also sponsors employees within its health system who want to further their education.
“AdventHealth also sponsors students who are employees of the system to support their education,” Ghosn said.
Ghosn said that, compared to other private universities, such as the University of Tampa and the University of Miami, AHU’s cost of education is lower.
The university trains both incoming students and current AdventHealth employees looking to advance their careers within the health system.
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