ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Nurses are a part of the spine in hospitals and there’s a vital scarcity of them in Florida. The College of South Florida plans to assist add extra future nurses to the workforce by increasing its four-year nursing program to its St. Petersburg campus.
The backstory:
You’ll be able to be taught abilities for affected person care, however the drive and need for nursing doesn’t come from a classroom.
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“I actually love working in well being care and after I acquired to shadow a facility and noticed what the nurses do in a rehab and nursing house, I simply fell in love with it,” mentioned Gabriela Alvarez, a nursing pupil at USF St. Petersburg.
Alvarez is a first-year pupil within the USF St. Peterburg’s accelerated two-year nursing program. She beforehand earned her bachelor’s diploma at USF in biomedical science. Her second month into the 16-month program, she’s studying quick in this system’s Heart for Experiential Studying and Simulation and at hospitals.
“I truly acquired my first scientific spherical on a neuro flooring, so I acquired to see the best way to do a stroke analysis,” mentioned Alvarez.
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What we all know:
A two-year quick monitor program is now not sufficient at USF St. Petersburg. The campus will provide a four-year nursing program to college students beginning in fall 2026.
“Now we get to begin with them from the bounce the place they’re contemporary, and so they’re proper out of highschool, and so I feel that’s most likely the most important change,” mentioned Allyson Duffy, the pathway director for pre-licensure nursing at USF St. Petersburg & Sarasota.
Duffy mentioned the campus not too long ago hosted greater than 100 Pinellas County highschool college students final week.
“We have been capable of present these college students ‘look, you’re strolling distance away from these main hospital techniques the place you possibly can actually get that nice expertise,’” mentioned Duffy.
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What college students be taught prepares them to take the Nationwide Certification Licensure Examination (NCLEX). They need to cross the examination to change into registered nurses and begin working.
“The NCLEX did change just a little in how they’re assessing that scientific judgment. And so, we additionally had to do this in our curriculum,” mentioned Duffy.
By the numbers:
Florida’s 2024 first-time cross charge for NCLEX examination was 84.9%, beneath the nationwide common of 91%, based on a report from the Florida Heart for Nursing.
Duffy mentioned USF’s cross charges are properly above that – at 97%. Each new nurse added to Florida’s workforce is required.
“By 2035 you recognize the estimate is about 59,000 nurses that we will be brief within the state of Florida, and in order that’s why we will proceed to do what we are able to to assist help that,” mentioned Duffy.
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What they’re saying:
Alvarez mentioned she feels arrange for achievement to begin a profession in nursing.
“I really feel like I’ve discovered my sense and my goal. Lots of people spend numerous time looking for what they wish to do, and it is tremendous fulfilling after I get to know that I am going to have the ability to put that into follow and do what I like and what I wish to,” mentioned Alvarez, who desires to work within the geriatrics specialty.
This system director mentioned they hope the brand new four-year program attracts folks invested in staying in St. Petersburg or Pinellas County. USF companions with space hospitals like Bayfront Hospital and Johns Hopkins All Youngsters’s Hospital to assist educate their college students.
The Supply: The data on this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Briona Arradondo.
