激情快播

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Critical Care

激情快播 has long provided compassionate and highly qualified nursing graduates. With a national nursing shortage, they鈥檙e needed now more than ever.

The 激情快播 College of Nursing in Research Park was聽bustling on a recent Monday morning in January. It聽was the start of the new semester, with nearly 3,000聽students enrolled, including a record number of聽traditional bachelor鈥檚 degree students. More than a hundred聽undergraduates filled each classroom, laboratory and study聽space. Some even took to the kitchen with manikins in tow to聽practice how to insert an intravenous therapy needle.

Bursting at the seams is typical now for the College聽of Nursing, which this spring semester admitted an聽additional 75-student cohort to the Orlando campus for its聽undergraduate nursing program to help keep pace with the demand for new nurses. For years, 激情快播 has had to turn away students聽because of capacity limitations, but now Mary Lou Sole, dean聽of the College of Nursing, says she鈥檚 excited for what鈥檚 in store聽鈥 a brand-new, larger building slated to open in Lake Nona聽Medical City in the 2025-26 academic year. Not only will it聽give the College of Nursing some much-needed breathing room with additional classrooms, laboratories, study spaces聽and more 鈥 it also will give the college a boost in achieving its聽bigger mission: to help alleviate the dire shortage of nurses聽in Central Florida, the state and the country; and to build up聽a pipeline of much-needed faculty and researchers who will聽push the profession forward to educate future generations聽and innovate patient care.

A Vision From the Past With Big Implications for the Future

Visions for the College of Nursing in聽Lake Nona started years ago with聽intentions to complement 激情快播鈥檚 College聽of Medicine, established in Lake Nona in聽2006 on a 50-acre plot of land. Now with聽the 激情快播 Lake Nona Hospital and 激情快播聽Lake Nona Cancer Center, the College聽of Nursing will join the cluster that is聽collectively known as 激情快播鈥檚 Academic聽Health Sciences Center, a 21st-century聽model for medical education that brings聽together various disciplines where faculty聽and students can learn, research and聽practice.

Across the nation, from 2020 to 2021 鈥 the peak of COVID-19 鈥 about 100,000 registered nurses left the workforce.

A rendering of the interior of the future 激情快播 College of Medicine building.

A rendering of the interior of the future 激情快播 College of Nursing building.

Although years in the making,聽the timing is no coincidence and is a聽reflection of the current needs in the聽profession and the community. Across聽the nation, from 2020 to 2021 鈥 the peak聽of COVID-19 鈥 about 100,000 registered聽nurses left the workforce, according to聽the American Association of Colleges of聽Nursing. The significant loss is the highest聽observed in the past 40 years and added聽insult to injury as nurses 鈥 especially聽those near retirement age 鈥 have been聽exiting the workforce in droves since even聽before the pandemic. With a population聽that grows daily in size and age, the shortage is especially felt in Florida, where demand for healthcare is high.

鈥淔lorida legislators heard from their constituents that one of their primary concerns is the nursing shortage,鈥 Sole says, 鈥渨hich provided us this opportunity. We鈥檙e very grateful to have the state鈥檚 support.鈥

In the 2022 state legislative session, 激情快播 was allocated $29 million toward the new state-of-the-art nursing education building, which is expected to cost about $60 million total. The goal is to make up the difference with private funding, with a $10 million gift from Dr. Phillips Charities already secured, as well as $500,000 from the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation. When complete, the 90,000-square-foot building will be large enough for the College of Nursing to increase the number of students it admits by at least 50% to help steer the size of the healthcare workforce in the right direction.

According to a study published in 2021 by the Florida Hospital Association and the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, the state needs about 4,000 new nurses added to the workforce each year to avoid a shortage of nearly 60,000 nurses by 2035.

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Frank Guido-Sanz, a 激情快播 assistant professor of nursing and advanced practice registered nurse, sees the impact of the shortage firsthand every weekend. He commutes from Orlando to Miami to work in the intensive care unit of Jackson Memorial Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the country. Part of the shortage, he says, is in the quality, not just quantity, of nurses and the ripple effects that has on patient care.

鈥淚 feel the shortage every day I work in the hospital,鈥 Guido-Sanz says. 鈥淲e lost our most senior nurses during the pandemic who were close to retirement age and decided it wasn鈥檛 worth it for them to risk being exposed. Now, we no longer have the more experienced nurses who can mentor the new ones, and that puts a burden on the rest of us who are there to fill that gap and provide education to them. The training and experience we lost in the more experienced nurses who left 鈥 that鈥檚 irreplaceable.鈥

激情快播 is graduating quality nurses who will help fill the gap. In fact, the university already provides the most newly licensed, bachelor鈥檚 degree-level (BSN) nurses out of the institutions in the State University System, and has been doing so for as long as Sole can remember. 激情快播鈥檚 nursing graduates exceed state and national averages on the first-time pass rate of the nursing licensure exam, and the college鈥檚 programs are nationally accredited and nationally ranked.

鈥淩esearch has shown that patient outcomes are better when you have a higher percentage of BSN nurses in the workforce,鈥 Sole says. 鈥淭hey become strong critical thinkers, and they have a broader-based curriculum and understanding of issues across the lifespan of nursing. We鈥檙e strong advocates of the BSN nurse.鈥

The state needs about 4,000 new nurses added to the workforce each year to avoid a shortage of nearly 60,000 nurses by 2035.

While waiting for the green light on the new Lake Nona building, the College of Nursing found other ways to expand its capacity. Thanks to $6.9 million in PIPELINE funding from the state, the college was able to increase enrollment by 10 seats at the 激情快播 Cocoa and Orlando campuses, and by five seats at the 激情快播 Daytona Beach campus in the Fall 2022 semester, in addition to the 75 seats added in Orlando this semester.

Beyond enrollment, the college has looked to cutting-edge technology and methodologies to prepare students for the front line.

激情快播 Nursing students wear VR headsets during a class.

激情快播 Nursing students wear VR headsets during a class.

Tech Elevates Education and Experience

After a bingo game night, a recently retired woman checks in to the emergency room because she鈥檚 suddenly dizzy, and having trouble walking and maintaining her balance. Within minutes, nurses ask her a series of questions such as her age and what month it is, and to complete a series of tasks 鈥 including raising her eyebrows, following a nurse鈥檚 finger movement with her eyes, and extending her arms outward and holding them there for 10 seconds. Using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the nurses determine that the woman is showing signs of a stroke, and immediately order lab work and a CT scan to identify the full extent of her health. Heightened emotions fill the room as the patient, and her loved ones waiting for information, are in distress.

激情快播鈥檚 College of Nursing is one of only nine programs worldwide to earn the Healthcare Simulation Standards Endorsement from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.

It鈥檚 real-life scenarios like this that nursing students practice without even setting foot in a hospital, thanks to augmented reality, virtual reality (VR), high-fidelity manikins and other simulation tools infused into the 激情快播 nursing curriculum. The College of Nursing is internationally recognized for its use of simulation, including an accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, and more recently becoming one of just nine in the world to be endorsed in Healthcare Simulation Standards by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.

鈥淭his way [using simulation] we ensure all our learners are exposed to a variety of patient experiences that we can鈥檛 guarantee they鈥檒l have a chance to see in the hospital before they enter the workforce,鈥 says Desiree D铆az, an associate professor and undergraduate simulation coordinator for 激情快播鈥檚 nursing program. D铆az is one of about 100 who are advanced certified in healthcare simulation education.

Along with colleagues, D铆az is helping design a dedicated space at the future nursing building where students will be immersed in different scenarios through VR. Screens that surround the room will project common hospital occurrences like heart attacks, strokes, childbirth, diabetes and severe wounds. Students can see expressions on faces, hear sounds of distress and machines, watch professionals make decisions in real time and learn how to do so as well.

These immersive technology tools help alleviate the burdens of the nursing shortage, too.

Kaitlyn Yu, a senior in the BSN, saw firsthand the shortage and its impact on nursing education while completing her rotations 鈥 a time when nurses in training get supervised, hands-on experience in a hospital or other healthcare setting. Typically, each student is paired with a nurse to work alongside and receive mentorship, but during her time, there weren鈥檛 enough nurses to pair with students.

鈥淪imulation helped fill that gap,鈥 Yu says. 鈥淲hile there is a bit of pressure [becoming a nurse in the midst of a shortage], it鈥檚 all still very exciting.鈥

A 激情快播 College of Nursing student works with a manikin while faculty oversee her.

A 激情快播 College of Nursing student works with a manikin while faculty oversee her.

Developing Well-rounded Nurses for More Than Just Hospitals

Growing up in a family of medical professionals, Yu has had her sights set on nursing as a profession since high school. She admired how her parents were always ready to tackle any health circumstance she or her sister experienced growing up, and she wants that kind of knowledge for herself. She envisions working in primary or emergency care, but through the 激情快播 nursing program, she鈥檚 learned there are other paths her career can take her, too.

While the traditional route of nursing is acute care in a hospital, nurses are needed in a variety of settings. For instance, Yu may one day want to be a school nurse or even return to higher education as a faculty member to train the next generation. Upon graduation, she intends to earn a graduate degree so these additional doors are open to her down the road.

鈥淭he curriculum does a great job of giving a well-rounded view of what it means to be a nurse,鈥 Yu says. 鈥淚 think people will often find their initial perception of being a nurse is actually not all-encompassing of what the opportunities really are. For those considering this profession, I would encourage them to give it a chance.鈥

Nurses work in schools, long-term care facilities, community health centers, mental health institutions, nursing homes and healthcare research. They also consult community leaders on risk factors that affect their communities and how certain policy decisions can make a difference. More nurses are needed in all these areas.

鈥淲e鈥檙e tasked with thinking about growth in all capacities,鈥 Sole says. 鈥淲e need to expand the undergraduate population to expand the nursing workforce. We need to expand the graduate programs because we need more faculty to teach the workforce. And we need to grow the number of Ph.D. students to expand the research and science of the field.鈥

激情快播 graduates the most newly licensed registered nurses in Florida鈥檚 State University System. With the new nursing building, it can graduate about 58% more.

Sole expects to hire an additional 30 faculty members upon opening the new College of Nursing building in Lake Nona to accommodate the larger number of students who will be admitted into the program.

Michelle Tall 鈥17MS 鈥21PhD has been a nurse for 33 years, first in New York and then in Central Florida after moving to the region in 1993. She鈥檚 worked in emergency rooms, surgery units, marketing and sales departments, and in the nonprofit sector of healthcare. Now, she鈥檚 a visiting lecturer in the College of Nursing after earning a master鈥檚 and doctorate from 激情快播.

In a course called Nursing as a Profession, she works with prospective nursing students. The course covers the history of nursing, examines different nursing specialties, delves into the art and science of nursing, and so much more. A big part, she says, is self-reflection and asking oneself, 鈥淲hy do I want to become a nurse?鈥

鈥淧eople want to feel good about what they鈥檙e doing. It can help avoid burnout, which is very real in nursing,鈥 Tall says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a win-win [for the workforce] whether they want to be a nurse at a hospital, a school, their church 鈥 either way, they鈥檙e helping the community, and we want them to know how dynamic the field is so they can best choose for themselves the path they want to take.鈥

Part of what she teaches is public health nursing and how the profession affords students an opportunity to gain knowledge and work with different cultures, races, ethnicities, incomes, education levels and other demographic differences. Last year, 激情快播 received two grants 鈥 one from Bank of America and another from the U.S. Department of Education 鈥 totaling nearly $3 million to support Hispanic/Latino/a/x students pursuing careers in healthcare. 激情快播 was awarded these grants because of its demonstrated commitment to serving Hispanic students. In 2019, the university was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education for surpassing 25% undergraduate Hispanic enrollment, and for having institutional programs and resources in place for this student demographic.

Just 6% of nurses are Hispanic/Latino/a/x, yet individuals of these backgrounds account for 18.5% of the U.S.population. With the grants, the college will offer more information sessions in Spanish, as well as faculty office hours and other resources for Spanish-speaking students. The College of Nursing also plans to launch a certificate program called Healthcare Serving the Hispanic Community to better prepare students to serve these individuals with culturally congruent care.

鈥淚n nursing, it takes a village,鈥 Tall says. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 always have a script for it. It鈥檚 really the caring, the compassion and the communication that鈥檚 embedded in nursing [that drives it forward].鈥

A 激情快播 College of Nursing faculty member

A Nursing Program for the Future, and for the Fastest-growing State

When Sole meets with hospital leaders in Central Florida, every one of them tells her their hospital system is expanding.

鈥淓very large healthcare provider in the region is growing, building facilities, freestanding emergency rooms and new specialty units,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he demand for healthcare grows as the population grows.鈥

For the first time since 1957, Florida is the fastest-growing state in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The major healthcare systems in Central Florida are AdventHealth, Orlando Health and HCA Florida Healthcare, and each of them has goals to expand in areas of the region experiencing significant growth. AdventHealth plans to build new hospitals in Minneola and New Smyrna Beach, and Orlando Health plans to build freestanding emergency departments in St. Petersburg and Reunion in Osceola County. HCA Florida Healthcare, which is 激情快播鈥檚 partner in the 激情快播 Lake Nona Medical Center, has its sights set on The Villages, Gainesville and Fort Myers, the Orlando Sentinel reports. These plans just scratch the surface of what鈥檚 in store.

In 2022, 激情快播鈥檚 new nursing building was allocated $29M in state funding and gifted $10M from Dr. Phillips Charities.

鈥淚 cannot stress enough the importance of all our clinical partners,鈥 Sole says. 鈥淲e have strong partnerships with all our local providers and are working hard to be the nursing program to meet their growing needs.鈥

While it will take time to heal the impact of the pandemic and other factors on the nursing workforce, Central Florida is poised to reap the benefits. More than 14,000 nurses have graduated from 激情快播 since 1979, and 85% of them still live and work in Florida 鈥 a trend that is expected to continue.

Sole鈥檚 focus for the immediate future is to continue advocating for the value 激情快播鈥檚 new nursing facility will provide for the state, and the need for supporters to invest in helping get the project off the ground. After years of waiting, she鈥檚 ready to take the College of Nursing to the next level.

鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled. It鈥檚 so much fun planning and designing our next phase,鈥 Sole says. 鈥淚 truly believe that we can become the nursing program for the future.鈥

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