Gov. Ron Desantis Committed to Nursing Support – Pictured: Nurses walking through hallway — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Monkey Business Images
Pinellas Park, Florida – At a news announcement on the St. Petersburg College campus, Governor Ron DeSantis reaffirmed his commitment to Florida’s nursing sector by announcing more financing for state schools, universities, and private education.
DeSantis said Tuesday morning that he is providing an extra $26 million to ensure that Florida’s nursing workforce continues to exceed expectations, on top of the almost $500 million he has already funded since 2022.
This funding will support initiatives like PIPELINE and LINE, which provide performance-based grants and matching cash in an effort to boost the number of qualified nursing students in Florida.
Overview:
According to DeSantis, Florida is currently experiencing a severe nursing shortage, and the Florida Hospital Association estimates that the state will require up to 60,000 nurses over the course of the next ten years.
He continued by saying that the state’s increased funds will significantly help with that.
Between our state colleges and state universities, we are now generating more than 1,000 more nurses annually than we were prior to those. Therefore, that’s a significant rise,” DeSantis stated.
Based on the figures:
State universities will receive $6 million and state colleges will receive $20 million of the $26 million.
Additionally, the funds are used to finance simulation centers, buy equipment, and hire faculty.
Twenty of the 28 state universities and their nursing students will be affected by the funding, according to DeSantis.
What they’re saying:
According to Florida Commissioner of Education Stasi Kamoutsas, he expects that this funding would guarantee that graduates stay in the state to find employment.
“I’m so thankful that this investment is going specifically towards the nursing programs to be able to beef up those programs, to be able to give those students an opportunity to not only see value in themselves, but to give back to their communities.”
The backstory
State colleges have received $61.5 million and state universities have received $24 million since the start of the LINE and PIPELINE projects in 2022.
According to DeSantis, Florida’s colleges and universities collaborate effectively to guarantee the easy transferability of course credits. Additionally, he stated that about 90 percent of nursing students in Florida pass their tests the first time.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.