A patient in labor cries out. Vital signs spike on the bedside monitor. A nursing student steps forward, calls out orders to classmates and begins managing the delivery. The patient isn't real.
Inside Chamberlain University's SIMCARE CENTER at the Kenwood Collection in Sycamore Township, the "patient" is a high-fidelity mannequin that blinks, sweats, bleeds and voices discomfort, all controlled remotely by an instructor watching from behind the scenes. The students don't know what's coming next. They lead the care.
The nation's largest nursing school cut the ribbon Thursday, Aug. 20, on its 25th campus nationwide at 5905 E. Galbraith Road, Suite 3000. The first cohort of Cincinnati-area students begins classes Aug. 31.
Training before the real thing
Students face scenarios including childbirth, seizures and cardiac arrest in real time, according to Chamberlain's SIMCARE CENTER program. The labs replicate a working hospital ward down to privacy curtains, scrub sinks, hospital beds and patient monitoring equipment. After each session, faculty debrief students immediately, walking through what worked and what didn't. Only after completing simulation training do students move into clinical rotations with local health system partners.
Local pipeline
Executive campus director Priya Shastri said the campus fills a gap in the region's nursing pipeline.
"It brings a streamlined, three-year BSN program with hands-on simulation labs and direct clinical access right to our local community," Shastri said at the ribbon cutting.
The program requires no prerequisite courses and no application fee, with flexible evening and weekend scheduling for working adults. Chamberlain's Columbus campus, open since 2007, posted a 98.36% NCLEX pass rate in 2025 with an average class size of 16 students.
Employers across the Cincinnati metro posted nearly 50,000 healthcare job openings last year, with six open positions for every healthcare graduate in the region, according to the 2026 Covista Care Capacity Monitor produced by Chamberlain's parent institution.
Scholarship and investment
At the ribbon cutting, Cincinnati resident Damenika Jacobs received the inaugural Future Healthcare Hero BSN Scholarship, covering the full cost of her nursing degree. Three additional full-ride scholarships were announced, with applications open to Cincinnati-area residents.
Chamberlain and Covista also announced a three-year, $150,000 partnership with The Health Collaborative to bring healthcare career exploration programs to local middle and high school students.
Early enrollees can access a Founders' Grant of up to $15,000 toward a BSN degree. Classes begin Aug. 31.
