Last week, the Kissimmee Campus of NUC University of Florida Technical College debuted its new School of Nursing.
As the largest provider of nurses in Puerto Rico, NUC University brings its decades-long expertise to Florida with aim to address the need to fill the state’s growing healthcare gap and to create career pathways for aspiring nurses. There were many members of the community that worked to support the expansion, such as Dr. James Michael Burkett, the president of NUC University-FTC, and Congressman Darren Soto, who advocated for the program’s launch.
“Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world,” said Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa, who issued a proclamation making April 24 NUC University School of Nursing Day in Kissimmee, in honor of its 40 years in the community. “One of the most challenging parts of education sometimes is access. People have children to raise, they need to work a job to pay their bills; so, by being able to offer blended, online courses, flexible schedules, we’re able to offer that opportunity and access to education to way more people than ever were to before.”
The School of Nursing hosted a guided tour that revealed multiple new areas such as a simulation (SIM) lab designed to prepare students for real life medical scenarios and emergency/clinical care. A nursing skills lab that will help students master essential nursing techniques with hands on training and guided instruction. A pharmacology lab will allow students to insight into safe medication administration and pharmacological principles.
“Like most things, it takes the whole community. We worked with a lot of community leaders in the past, like Congressman Soto, who supported this right from the beginning. By being a part of the community, we were able to call on these partners.” Dr. Burkett said.
With National Nurses Week starting May 6, this grand opening will serve to address the state’s projected shortfall of nearly 60,000 nurses in the next ten years, school officials said. This goal of the expansion is to strengthen the region’s healthcare workforce and create more pathways for nurses with the hope of alleviating a coming shortfall in nursing, especially in underserved and bilingual communities.
“For me, everything was in Orlando,” S. Martinez, a nursing student at NUC University-FTC said. “As a single mom, to have something in the area…it motivates us to reach our goals.”
Learn more about NUC University’s Nursing Programs at https://ftccollege.edu/ program/nursing-programs.
