Register now for USF Health College of Nursing’s accelerated nursing pathway at the St. Petersburg campus.
ST. PETERSBURG — The USF Health College of Nursing is expanding the number of baccalaureate students in the accelerated nursing pathway at the St. Petersburg campus. This increase will help meet community needs and alleviate the critical nursing shortage.
The accelerated nursing pathway in St. Petersburg welcomed its first cohort in Fall 2019. USF’s Accelerated Second Degree pathway is intended for students who already have a bachelor’s degree and are looking to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The student can complete the program in four semesters (16 months). Since the pathway’s inception, there has been a rising need among community partners for additional nurses.
For several years, the national nursing shortage has been a concern, but the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated that shortage. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 1.1 million new nurses are needed by 2022.
As a result, college leadership decided to increase the St. Petersburg cohort from 30 to 50 students beginning in Fall 2021.
“We are proactively working to address the growing need for additional nurses in Florida,” said Usha Menon, Ph.D., dean of the College of Nursing and senior associate vice president of USF Health. “Many of our students remain local post-graduation. The increase in graduating nurses will have a direct impact on our very own nursing community.”
“The expansion of our USF Health College of Nursing enrollment will have a lasting impact in Florida and across the nation in addressing the looming nursing shortage, with a greater number of highly-trained, compassionate nurses delivering excellent care to their communities,” said Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.
“There is a critical shortage of nurses in our region, and we’re pleased to help fill that workforce need,” said Martin Tadlock, regional chancellor of USF’s St. Petersburg campus. “We are located near several outstanding hospitals and health care institutions, so this allows us to provide our students with exciting career options in a field that will continue to be in high demand.”
Learn more about the nursing program at St. Petersburg.