Minnesota State Colleges and Universities receives $1.2M Congressional Directives grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration

Southwest Minnesota state university nursing simulation laboratory and regional healthcare training facility - southwest Minnesota state university (smsu) seeks funding through the Health Resources And Services Administration's community project funding/congressionally directed spending (cpf/cds) program to establish a nursing simulation laboratory and regional healthcare training facility on its marshall, Minnesota campus. The project will renovate existing classroom space and acquire advanced simulation and healthcare training equipment to create a state-of-the-art nursing simulation laboratory that supports the development of a new pre-licensure bachelor of science in nursing (bsn) program while expanding continuing education opportunities for healthcare professionals throughout rural Minnesota. The project was included in the FY 2026 congressionally directed spending process with the stated purpose of renovating an existing classroom and purchasing modern simulation and healthcare equipment to create a nursing simulation and healthcare training laboratory that enables smsu to establish a four-year bsn program. [kfgo.com] Minnesota faces a significant and growing shortage of registered nurses, particularly in rural communities. Smsu has collaborated with regional and statewide healthcare partners, including avera, sanford health, centracare, allina health, medi-sota, olivia hospital and clinic, and the Minnesota hospital association, all of whom have identified workforce shortages as a critical challenge. Workforce data indicate that nursing positions are substantially more difficult to fill in greater Minnesota than in metropolitan regions, creating barriers to healthcare access and threatening the long-term sustainability of rural healthcare systems. Smsu is uniquely positioned to address this challenge. The university has successfully operated an rn-to-bsn program since 2014 and currently offers a master of science in nursing program. The proposed simulation laboratory will serve as the foundation for a new four-year bsn program, allowing students to begin and complete their nursing education in southwest Minnesota. Research demonstrates that students who attend college in rural regions are significantly more likely to remain and work in those communities after graduation, helping strengthen the healthcare workforce where needs are greatest. Funding will support renovation of existing instructional space into a modern healthcare simulation environment that includes patient care areas, control rooms, and debriefing spaces. The facility will be equipped with high-fidelity simulation mannequins, nursing skills equipment, patient monitoring systems, medical carts, simulation software, and other healthcare technologies designed to replicate real-world clinical settings. The laboratory will provide immersive learning experiences that prepare students to enter the healthcare workforce with advanced clinical competencies while also serving as a regional training center for nurses, paramedics, first responders, and other healthcare professionals seeking continuing education. The nursing simulation laboratory and regional healthcare training facility will increase educational capacity, strengthen partnerships between higher education and healthcare providers, support the launch of smsu's bsn program, and contribute to a sustainable pipeline of healthcare professionals serving marshall, lyon county, southwest Minnesota, and other rural communities throughout the state. By expanding access to nursing education and workforce training, this project will help address critical healthcare staffing shortages and improve healthcare outcomes for rural minnesotans.