Ivy Tech Bloomington expands nursing training space, set to launch evening program

BLOOMINGTON – Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington has constructed and completed the new Lee J. Marchant School of Nursing expansion on its main campus at 200 Daniels Way.

Students began using the new nursing skills lab and classroom space on August 19, the first day of the fall semester. The 4,000 sq. ft. expansion was made possible through a $1.2 million Community Impact Investment Fund grant from Indiana University Health.

Erik Coyne

“Thanks to our invaluable partnership with IU Health, Ivy Tech Bloomington can continue to respond to the needs of our communities and provide exceptionally qualified nursing graduates,” Chancellor Erik Coyne said. “We had simply outgrown the prior lab, and this expansion to our main campus building allows us to accommodate growth and ensure the high-quality experience for our nursing students that Ivy Tech is known for.”

Ivy Tech Bloomington had reached capacity for training nurses in the 2,900 sq. ft. building at 101 Daniels Way. Over the past two years, the campus admitted 60 more nursing students than in previous years.

Ivy Tech Bloomington accepts 190 nursing students each academic year across its Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN/RN) and Practical Nursing (LPN) programs.

The campus expects to add an evening Transition to the ASN/RN program starting in the Fall Semester of 2025, with applications opening on March 15, 2025. LPNs, medical assistants, paramedics, and military medics can apply for the Transition program. Healthcare professionals interested in the Transition to ASN program can contact Ivy Tech Bloomington to begin the review process.

Kim Roach

“With this expansion, we are creating new opportunities and further aligning our nursing education by training students on newer equipment they’ll use in the hospital,” Kim Roach, dean of the Marchant School of Nursing at Ivy Tech Bloomington said. “It also provides more space to accommodate different teaching and learning needs.”

The grant also allowed the campus to modernize and upgrade its training equipment, including electronic medication distribution and administration records.

Seven training beds were added to the new nursing skills lab, for a total of 15. Between the two buildings, the number of classrooms has increased from three to eight.

Ivy Tech Bloomington will host a dedication for the Marchant School of Nursing Skills Lab on September 23.

Ivy Tech Bloomington offers more than 40 career and four-year transfer programs, with courses that start multiple times yearly for quick entry and graduation. To get started, apply for free online at ivytech.edu/bloomington, call 812-330-6013, or email askBloomington@ivytech.edu. For information on free, short-term training programs at Ivy Tech Bloomington, visit ivytech.edu/bloomington/NLJ.