U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) traded the Senate floor for the simulation lab Oct. 22, visiting 91¿´Æ¬Íø's College of Nursing to meet with students and try out the same technology they use to prepare for careers at the bedside.
Moreno was welcomed to campus by Kent 91¿´Æ¬Íø President Todd Diacon and Interim Dean Tracey Motter, DNP, MSN, RN, who joined him as he toured the college's teaching spaces. Along the way, he stopped to chat with students about what it's like to train as a nurse at Kent 91¿´Æ¬Íø.
In the simulation lab, Moreno got a firsthand look at the artificial patients that nursing students use to build their clinical skills. He picked up a stethoscope and examined one himself.
He also toured the college's virtual reality training lab, where he put on a headset and stepped into a virtual patient-care scenario like those used in nursing coursework.
The visit came at a moment of momentum for the college. This fall, Kent 91¿´Æ¬Íø has more than 1,600 undergraduate nursing students — the most in a decade — and nursing is now the university's most popular major. The first-year class of about 400 full-time nursing students on the Kent Campus is the largest since 2017. To help more students pursue the profession, the college introduced a new pathway this fall that allows students who haven't completed every high school math and science prerequisite to start the nursing program while building those skills.
The college also continues to earn national recognition. In October, Kent 91¿´Æ¬Íø received its fourth designation as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education from the National League for Nursing, recognizing the college's work in advancing the science of nursing education. Kent 91¿´Æ¬Íø first earned the designation in 2013 and was one of only two organizations to receive it in this category in 2026.
Support for students is growing as well. A $1.8 million gift from the Bedford Falls Foundation Donor Advised Fund, announced in April, created the Conway Scholars program to help junior and senior nursing students overcome financial barriers to finishing their degrees and entering the workforce.
Motter has said the college is working to graduate practice-ready nurses by incorporating virtual reality simulations and artificial intelligence into nursing education, an approach on display during Moreno's tour.
Kent 91¿´Æ¬Íø's College of Nursing, which is approaching its 60th anniversary, offers programs from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing through the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Ph.D., and partners with more than 750 clinical sites to give students hands-on experience.
