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Jefferson Nursing’s Campus Expansion: Building for Purpose
In early September, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and dedication was held (watch the video replay), and Jefferson College of Nursing (JCN) students began fall classes at the new 44,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Dixon Campus in Horsham, PA. This new site is filled with all the “bells and whistles” to support student learning at the highest level, encourage impactful collaboration, and offer cutting-edge academic delivery tools.
This is the latest manifestation of JCN’s drive to provide the most modern learning environment and the greatest accessibility to students who are stepping forward to fill a global nursing shortage that has come into even sharper focus with the COVID-19 pandemic. A move to this new campus will allow us to double enrollment in Horsham to 290 students by 2024.
Only a mile from the previous JCN location that we have operated since 2017 on the Jefferson-Abington Health’s Willow Grove campus, the Dixon Campus reflects our commitment to assuring students of the highest-quality learning experience. Nearly one-third of the new facility will be occupied by a high-tech simulation center where both undergraduate and graduate students can engage in complex clinical scenarios that parallel, anticipate, and amplify real-life situations.
The new campus also includes a 200-seat tiered lecture hall, three 80-seat classrooms, and an 80-seat computer lab that will support the latest innovations in instructional technology. The academic space is rounded out with a dedicated library, student lounge, and collaborative learning and study spaces that can be self-scheduled using iPad technologies. The physical space has been designed so that students can learn in novel formats, faculty can collaborate and brainstorm, and a spirit of excitement and curiosity can be cultivated. We have included the virtual tour below so that you may see firsthand what all the excitement is about:
A $5.4-million renovation of an existing building at 300 Lakeside Drive in Horsham, the Dixon Campus is part of a larger repositioning of the surrounding 235,000-square-foot, five-building complex known as the Lakeside Health and Wellness Campus.
Our latest facility is named for the long-time philanthropist and community volunteer whose generous financial gift made it possible – Edith R. Dixon. A benefactor to JCN in many ways over the years, she serves on the Abington-Jefferson Health board, the Abington Health Women’s Foundation Board and the Jefferson Institutional Advancement Board. In 2016, she received an honorary doctorate from Jefferson College of Nursing.
Jefferson College of Nursing students, faculty, and staff have enjoyed the new space over the last few weeks, which has strengthened their “JCN Pride.” Please take a look at this heartfelt video in which Dixon Campus students express their gratitude for the new facility.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, the World Health Organization already was warning that a severe global shortage of nurses was putting millions of lives at risk worldwide. The innovative approach to nursing education represented by JCN’s Dixon Campus is one relatively small but important step toward preparing the next generation of professionals to meet the challenges ahead in health care.
As Dean of the Jefferson College of Nursing, I am committed to building upon the rich legacies of the Dixon name and the 129 year-old foundation of nursing at Jefferson. What an incredible time for Jefferson Nursing!