Committed to innovation and equity in nursing education

NCCU Department of Nursing, located in Durham’s Research Triangle, is a nationally recognized HBCU program preparing nurses through traditional BSN, accelerated A-BSN, and RN-to-BSN tracks. Ranked #5 among HBCU nursing programs and #9 in North Carolina by U.S. News & World Report (2025), NCCU is committed to innovation and equity in nursing education, blending academic excellence with immersive technologies like vrClinicals for Nursing to build clinical judgment, strengthen competencies, and graduate nurses ready to practice.

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NCCU student wearing maroon sweatshirt uses vrClinicals for Nursing in classroom.

NCCU navigates the nursing crisis in North Carolina

The NCCU nursing program faced the same pressures as those nationwide: limited access to clinical placements, a shortage of faculty, and a mandate to graduate more nurses without sacrificing quality. The school’s challenges were even more pronounced given its location in the Research Triangle, where competition for limited clinical sites is heightened by the presence of multiple top-tier nursing programs.

The stakes of those challenges are amplified in the context of North Carolina’s looming workforce gap. By 2037, North Carolina is projected to have 22 percent fewer nurses than it needs — a shortfall of 28,850 full-time-equivalent nurses. NCCU needed a scalable solution to expand nursing capacity while maintaining its 100% NCLEX® pass rate for its accelerated BSN class.

NCCU / vrClinicals Case Study video thumbnail
vrClinicals for Nursing in action

Explore how North Carolina Central University (NCCU) is preparing confident, practice-ready nurses through vrClinicals for Nursing. By integrating immersive simulation into its curriculum, NCCU gives students realistic clinical experiences that strengthen judgment, communication, and decision-making before they enter real-world practice.

NCCU embeds vrClinicals for Nursing throughout its nursing curriculum

NCCU embedded vrClinicals for Nursing into every stage of its program — starting students with single-patient scenarios in their first semester and progressing to complex, multipatient environments where they learn to prioritize, delegate, and make decisions under pressure. The integration of conversational AI took simulation even further, replacing scripted drop-down responses with natural dialogue so students could practice real patient conversations and think critically in the moment.

The early results? Students who once felt anxious now enter clinical placements confident in their ability to manage patients, prioritize care, and communicate effectively from Day One. Students are self-reporting stronger clinical confidence, improved time management, and enhanced patient assessment skills, while faculty use performance data to target instruction and close gaps.

85% of students

report stronger clinical confidence.

75% of students

have acquired enhanced patient assessment skills.

Faculty empowerment

Data-driven teaching and peer-led training help target instruction and close gaps.

Student confidence

Leads to improvements in patient communication and decision-making.
Case study:
NCCU transforms nursing education with immersive simulation
Go in-depth and download the full case study to see how NCCU, one of the nation’s top-ranked HBCU nursing programs, is using vrClinicals for Nursing from Wolters Kluwer and Laerdal Medical to expand capacity, strengthen clinical judgment, and graduate more confident, practice-ready nurses. 
Download the Case Study
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  • Director of the Experiential Learning Center, NCCU
Tina Scott, NCCU headshot
We recognized the need for a solution that could enhance existing methods by realistically simulating patient acuity and supporting students in making critical decisions — rather than simply allowing them to check off skills.
Tina Scott, DNP
Director of the Experiential Learning Center , NCCU

Learn how immersive simulation can help your program expand capacity and graduate confident, practice-ready nurses.

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