St. Petersburg College and HCA Florida Healthcare Invest in Tomorrow's Nurses
Summary
The LINE grant incentivizes collaboration between nursing education programs and health care partners in reducing Floridas nursing shortage.This collaborative initiative builds on St. Petersburg Colleges more than 60 years of successfully preparing nurses to meet the demands of the changing health care industry."St. Petersburg College is a high-quality educator that not only provides well-trained nurses to our local community but also has an impressive pass rate for nursing graduates taking their state license exam," said Leanne Salazar, DNP, MBA, ARNP, CENP, CPPS, CPHQ, FNP-BC, the Chief Nurse Executive at HCA Healthcare West Florida Division.With the grant funds, 25 nursing students at St. Petersburg College received $2,000 in scholarships, which alleviates financial burdens and fosters student success. It can also help buy their books or to do whatever it is they need it to do so they can focus on their studies," said Dr. Leah Olson, Academic Program Director at St. Petersburg College. "Getting a nursing degree is very challenging, and the College wants all students to be prepared to take care of people and the community. "In addition, St. Petersburg College utilized grant funds to upgrade the simulation equipment thats used to train nursing students and purchased new equipment and supplies to enhance nursing students learning experience.Together, St. Petersburg College and HCA Florida Healthcare are helping to alleviate the current nursing shortages while preparing future nurses to meet the demands of a changing health care industry.About St. Petersburg CollegeFounded in 1927, St. Petersburg College (SPC) is Floridas first two-year college.