The nursing shortage is a longstanding issue in the United States. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) estimates, more than 90,000 qualified nursing applications were turned away due to a lack of nursing faculty and the necessary resources to accommodate them all. Not only does this emphasize the nursing shortage experienced all over the United States, but it also highlights the importance of investing in nursing colleges across the country.
When it comes down to it, nursing schools play a crucial role in the healthcare system as they are responsible for educating and training all future nurses to be able to provide high-quality care to their patients. This means that in order to combat the nursing shortage and increase the number of qualified nurses in the workforce, nursing schools will need additional funding and support.
Luckily, the Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital decided to invest in the renovation of their relocated space in hopes of providing more modern and high-tech resources to their students and faculty. By renovating their physical space, Pomeroy College of Nursing will be able to support their nursing students more effectively, which helps demonstrate the value of investing in the education of nurses.
Pomeroy College of Nursing: Project Overview
Rich & Gardner have taken on many healthcare-related projects in the past, so when Mike Barney Management asked Rich & Gardner to submit a project proposal to be the general contractors for the renovation of Pomeroy College of Nursing’s relocated space, it was an easy decision to make. Rich & Gardner was soon after awarded the project, which would require the team to renovate 18,600 square feet of existing office space to accommodate Pomeroy College of Nursing’s needs.
Located at 5000 Brittonfield Parkway, E. in Syracuse, NY, the new space is considered a modern, high-tech space designed to meet the needs of today’s nursing students and faculty. The project commenced on September 14, 2022, and was finalized by December 22, 2022, a short turnaround timeline that has allowed the college to begin utilizing the renovated space as of the new year.
The new facility now features expanded learning spaces to provide students with more room for studying or working on their school projects and assignments in a comfortable environment. In addition, the renovation included creating spacious nursing skills and simulation labs, welcoming student study and social areas, and of course, a library. All of these features are designed to help the Pomeroy College of Nursing’s students succeed in their schooling and to provide them with a modern space focused on learning and professional growth.
Working alongside Rich & Gardner as the project’s architectural team was King + King Architects, a team Rich & Gardner has collaborated with on previous projects and is always a pleasure to work with. Overall, the project was a huge success, and Rich & Gardner couldn’t be prouder to have been able to be a part of the renovations.
Partnering With Pomeroy College of Nursing
While it was Mike Barney Management who first reached out to Rich & Gardner about this renovation project, throughout the course of the project, Rich & Gardner developed a positive relationship with their new partner, Pomeroy College of Nursing.
Looking back at Pomeroy College of Nursing’s history, they have been educating and training nursing students to provide safe and effective care for over 100 years. It was in 1991 that the Marley Education Center was first opened, and it remained the home of the nursing college until the end of 2022, which is when the college’s new location had completed all renovations. In 1997, the college was renamed ‘Crouse Hospital School of Nursing’, reflecting the Hospital’s name change at the time, but in 2015 the name was changed again to its current name, ‘Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital’.
The college currently offers a two-year associate’s degree in applied science with a major in nursing and has been recognized for their ability to anticipate the ever-evolving needs within the healthcare industry. With nearly 6000 graduates to date, the Pomeroy College of Nursing continues to rank as one of the top nursing programs in New York state thanks to their innovative program design, low student-to-faculty ratios, state-of-the-art teaching environments, and affordable tuition.
The mission of Pomeroy College of Nursing is to “prepare a clinically competent professional nurse for hospital and community practice”, while their vision is to be “a leading nursing program graduating highly qualified professional nurses committed to excellence.” Pomeroy College of Nursing’s mission aligns well with Rich & Gardner’s values, as it is their goal to train qualified nurses who will then practice within the community, while Rich & Gardner hope to better their community through the work they do on their projects.
Partnering with Pomeroy College of Nursing was an amazing experience for the team and has allowed Rich & Gardner to take on another project that will benefit the Syracuse community. And while this partnership has concluded – for the time being – Rich & Gardner hope to partner with the Pomeroy College of Nursing again in the future.
Impact on the Community
As the nursing shortage continues, nursing colleges are becoming more and more important. Yet, many of them lack the necessary resources to be able to properly educate and train everyone interested in becoming a nurse.
Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital now has additional tools and resources available to their staff, faculty, and students, thanks to the recently completed renovation project. With their new technology and expanded space, the college will be able to provide their students with the best training, which will lead to more qualified nurses meeting the community’s healthcare needs. This can help improve access to healthcare and the quality of care available to community members.
With their newly renovated facility in the Crouse Hospital, Pomeroy College of Nursing is better equipped to provide hands-on training opportunities for their nursing students, which can further benefit the community by strengthening the healthcare system. In addition, between the relocation and renovation, there may be even more opportunities for community members to pursue careers in nursing, which can help stimulate the local economy and create additional employment opportunities.
But more than anything, Pomeroy College of Nursing is teaching the next generation of nurses to be the best leaders in healthcare by embracing the community that serves them as they learn how to serve the community.
What’s Next?
While the current nursing shortage has created various problems within the healthcare industry, it has also created new and exciting opportunities. More than ever, people are truly seeing and valuing all of the hard work nurses continue to put into their work. With projects like the renovations Rich & Gardner completed for Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital, the future of nursing is looking a little bit brighter.
While this project only took a few months to complete, Rich & Gardner could not have asked for better partners to work with throughout the project’s duration. With an outstanding community partner such as the Pomeroy College of Nursing, the renovations and work Rich & Gardner accomplished on this project was both meaningful and beneficial to the surrounding communities.
If you would like to learn more about the services we provide here at Rich & Gardner or are in need of an expert construction partner to work with you on your next project, get in touch with us today!