City Colleges of Chicago officials on Wednesday announced the planned opening of the streamlined City Colleges of Chicago School of Nursing in 2016.

The nursing school, which is set to open in the new $251 million Malcolm X College facility on the city’s Near West Side, will replace nursing programs currently operating at the Daley, Truman, Malcolm X and Wright colleges, according to a City Colleges press release. The new facility will provide students with an opportunity to receive instruction in “a virtual hospital environment,” according to the release.

“To ensure Chicagoans are prepared for this growing field, we must target investments in state-of-the-art facilities that deliver the best possible education,” explained Karthryn Hayes, senior director of communications for CCC.

As part of CCC’s transition to the new program at the Malcolm X facility, Daley College will end its nursing program when current students compete their coursework next year. In January 2016, students of the remaining Truman, Wright and Malcolm X nursing programs will merge into the new program.

“This move is about targeting investment to ensure maximum returns for taxpayers and the best possible programs for students,” CCC Chancellor Cheryl Hyman said in the release. 

Like City Colleges’ existing nursing programs, the new School of Nursing will provide coursework for students working toward their two-year Applied Science in Nursing associate degree and help students prepare to take Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Professional Nurse exams.

After the new nursing school opens at the Malcolm X campus, the City Colleges network will continue offer pre-nursing and general education coursework at its other schools.

CCC nursing students will have the opportunity to gain real-world experience by working for industry partners through the College to Careers program. Accretive Health, CVS Caremark, Lurie Children’s Hospital and Rush University Medical Center are among the nearly 20 nursing-related partners in the program.

Dr. Tyra Ousley, a seasoned nursing clinician and the former leader of Truman College’s nursing program, has been selected by City Colleges to head the new School of Nursing.

“We are confident that her professional expertise and deep knowledge of City Colleges’ current nursing offerings will ensure the new School of Nursing builds upon best practices across the system,” Hayes said.