LORETTO, CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — St. Francis University is putting their finishing touches on their new Health Sciences Experiential Learning Commons.

The project is a 10,000 square foot expansion, including five state-of-the-art simulation suites and an improved nursing skills lab.

The chair of the Nursing Department, Rita Trofino, said it’s important they have the right tools for their to learn and grow in their field.

“If they make mistakes, we want them to make mistakes on the mannequins. they can do all their mistakes in a safe environment, learn from their mistakes, and therefore get signed off on the correct way to do things, so once they go into a hospital, they’re competent, they’re confident and they feel secure in doing things in a safe way,” she said.

The official ribbon cutting is October 4th, but students will be able to use the new facilities when the school year starts next month.