UCF’s College of Nursing has received a generous gift of $500,000 from the Conway-Welch Family Foundation to support the creation of a dedicated space for virtual reality education and research in the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion.
In the Dr. Colleen Conway-Welch Virtual Reality Learning Studio, UCF nursing students will immerse themselves in simulated healthcare scenarios to practice clinical skills and enhance decision-making and communication skills in a safe and controlled environment. Studies have shown that the use of virtual reality in nursing education can enhance knowledge, ultimately improving patient care and safety.
Located on the second floor inside the Helene Fuld Health Trust STIM Center, the Dr. Colleen Conway-Welch Virtual Reality Learning Studio will allow UCF to build upon its global expertise in healthcare simulation and continue to pioneer best practices in the rapidly growing and evolving field.
The Helene Fuld Health Trust STIM Center will be a centerpiece of the new Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, which will provide three times the current clinical lab and simulation learning space available to UCF nursing students today. The center, which boasts a global accreditation and an international endorsement, currently provides more than 11,000 simulation-based student contact hours annually.
“It is an incredible honor to receive this gift to carry on a legacy of excellence in nursing education,” says Mary Lou Sole, dean of UCF’s College of Nursing. “Through the generosity of the Conway-Welch Family Foundation, UCF will increase our impact both on the future of nursing with greater innovation and on the health of our communities by preparing Knight nurses for clinical practice.”
The Conway-Welch Family Foundation was established in honor of Colleen Conway-Welch, an esteemed leader, philanthropist and advocate of the nursing profession who died of pancreatic cancer in 2018. Conway-Welch served as dean of the Vanderbilt School of Nursing for nearly three decades, where she advanced innovation, clinical training and community outreach.
Scheduled to open in Fall 2025, the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion is the new home for UCF’s College of Nursing that is supported by state funding and the philanthropy of private donors. The 90,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility is currently under construction at UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona. Once open, the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion will help UCF address the nursing shortage and solve healthcare’s greatest challenges through innovative and collaborative research.
