Appalachian State University has received $500,000 from the Golden LEAF Foundation to establish a nursing simulation and clinical learning lab at its Hickory campus. The funding will provide simulation equipment and advanced clinical tools for the new facility.
Dr. Marie Huff, dean of the Beaver College of Health Sciences, said, “Our nursing program is grateful for the Golden LEAF Foundation’s generous support. The modern nursing simulation space at the Hickory campus will enable App State to offer advanced clinical training opportunities and help support the region’s workforce needs by graduating highly skilled nursing professionals.”
The new lab will serve students in the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP) program, which launches this fall. It will also benefit students in the pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and act as a center for interprofessional health care education.
Golden LEAF President and CEO Scott T. Hamilton stated, “By supporting these advanced training environments, we are helping to build a workforce pipeline that will give students hands-on experience that directly translates to real-world health care jobs. The Golden LEAF Foundation is pleased to support the nursing simulation and clinical learning lab at the App State Hickory campus.”
According to Sheps Health Workforce NC, about one-fourth of North Carolina counties do not meet recommended ratios for primary care providers, with rural areas facing greater shortages.
The DNP-FNP program aims to address these gaps across North Carolina by offering a part-time hybrid format over 11 semesters with 76 credit hours and 1,000 clinical hours. This structure is intended to make advanced study accessible throughout all 100 counties in North Carolina.
The Hickory campus lab will be Appalachian State University’s second such facility; another operates on its Boone campus in Levine Hall.
Appalachian State University serves more than 21,000 students through undergraduate and graduate programs according to its official website. The university belongs to the University of North Carolina System and operates campuses in Boone and Hickory as well as online programs. Its facilities span 1,200 acres designed for academic, residential, and recreational use as detailed on its website. Appalachian State has earned national recognition for academics, value, innovation, and sustainability from outlets such as U.S. News & World Report and Forbes according to its official site.
The Golden LEAF Foundation was established in 1999 as an independent nonprofit organization tasked with increasing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural communities through grantmaking funded by proceeds from a settlement agreement with cigarette manufacturers.
