The new Betty Irene Moore Hall will feature simulation labs for practicing real-life scenarios.

The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing will add its first program to develop new nurses this summer.

In the Master’s Entry Program in Nursing, students with a bachelor’s degree in another field can earn both a master’s degree and qualification for the registered nurse exam in 18 months.

Until now, the nursing school focused on graduate study for existing nurses, with master’s and doctoral degrees, and programs for nurse practitioners and physician assistants. With a focus on integrated lessons, the school has a mission to educate nurse leaders who are well-versed in the rapidly changing health care industry. An interdisciplinary faculty of 60 guides the approach.

“We have an emphasis on leadership, so our students understand how to assume leadership roles and advance health,” said Heather M. Young, founding dean and professor.

The school is named for Betty Irene Moore, whose passion for improving patient safety and health care delivery led the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to provide $100 million in funding for its establishment seven years ago. A namesake building on the Sacramento campus is slated to be completed in 2017.

Highlights of the school’s new 70,000-square-foot home include collaborative learning spaces, simulation suites where students can practice true-to-life scenarios, and enough space to support the school for several decades.

Full enrollment of more than 400 is expected by 2023.