CTC breaks ground for new nursing building

Central Texas College will now usher in the beginning of a new era in nursing education with the recent groundbreaking ceremony for the new nursing building. The ceremony was held July 23 on site along University Dr. just past the Texas A&M–Central Texas (formerly Tarleton-Central Texas) building off Clear Creek Rd. Guest speakers include Dr. Jim Anderson, CTC chancellor, Dr. Gary Ross, executive director of Texas A&M-Central Texas and Carlyle Walton, president/CEO of Metroplex Health System.

The new 85,000-square-foot building is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2010 and open for classes with the spring 2011 semester. CTC will utilize 38,100 square feet of the building for eight classrooms and eight hospital simulation labs including two two-bed intensive care unit; two six-bed basic/critical care labs; a five-bed emergency room; a two-bed labor and delivery unit; a two-bed pediatric care unit; a two-bed home care lab and an operating room. It will also house 35 faculty offices.

Texas A&M-Central Texas will house 11 classrooms, 34 faculty offices and a suite for its R.O.T.C. program in 27,400 square feet of the building. Metroplex Hospital will occupy nearly 20,000 square feet for administrative functions and a lobby/common area.

Projected growth in nursing employment expected to be greater than the average employment growth. In fact, registered nurses are expected to create the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations. To help meet that growth, CTC developed plans to build a new, larger nursing facility scheduled to open in 2011. The new two-story, 85,000-square-foot building will be constructed next to Tarleton State University-Central Texas and be shared by CTC, Tarleton and Metroplex Hospital. The cost of the new facility is an estimated $23 million.

Since its first graduating class of 11 students in 1970, CTC nursing enrollments and program offerings have grown significantly. Last year, the program graduated more than 100 students in the registered nursing (RN) program and licensed vocational nursing (LVN) program.

With the ever-growing number of nursing students, CTC has accommodated the growth by constructing new nursing facilities as the need arose. The first nursing building was completed in March 1971. It featured a simulated hospital room, a closed circuit television for training films and a large lecture room. The cost for that building was a little more than $628,500.

CTC upgraded its nursing facility again 24 years later with the opening of its current building in 1995. It houses several laboratories, classrooms, lecture halls, simulated hospital rooms and offices. It is also home to the science and agriculture classes.

The new facility will enable CTC to offer more state-of-the-art teaching techniques through new equipment and increased classroom space. To help fund the new equipment initiatives as well as additional scholarships, the CTC Foundation is coordinating a brick donation drive. Patrons can purchase a 4 x 8 brick to be used in the front of the new nursing building. An individual's name or business name will be engraved on the brick for $95. Anyone interested in contributing to this unique educational opportunity can log onto http://www.ctcd.edu/nursing/index.htm and click the “how you can get involved” link to download the donation form.