3 minute read
• Dedicated Education Unit at St. Petersburg General Hospital
After observing the successes of the partnership between USF Health College of Nursing’s WIRES™ program and Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the decision was made to expand some of the programs offered in Excellence in Nursing During COVID-19 and Beyond to other local organizations and institutions. USF Health College of Nursing has also partnered with Tampa General Hospital to bring the preceptorship-to-hire program to life for nursing students and healthcare professionals.
Similar to USF Health College of Nursing’s partnership with Sarasota Memorial Hospital, nursing students will be matched one-to-one with a nurse in a clinical setting at Tampa General Hospital during the student’s final semester, so long as eligibility criteria are met. The hospital, a large research and academic medical center, will work with USF Health College of Nursing to tailor the preceptorship program specifically for nursing students who are interested in pursuing a career in this setting post-graduation, ensuring that academic learning goals are met, but that individualized learning is further promoted.
USF Health College of Nursing’s partnership with Sarasota Memorial Hospital has created the building blocks necessary for a partnership with Tampa General Hospital and enhanced the experience for both nursing students and healthcare professionals at the institution. Additionally, nursing students may be offered employment opportunities by the institution after successful completion of the program.
USF Health College of Nursing’s partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center has also resulted in the implementation of the WIRES™ preceptorship-to-hire program. Nursing students who are interested in working in an oncology setting and caring for patients with cancer have the opportunity to be matched one-to-one with a nurse in a clinical setting at the center. Colleagues at Moffitt Cancer Center have delivered positive feedback to USF Health regarding the student selection process for the preceptorship-to-hire program.
In addition to the preceptorship-to-hire program, USF Health College of Nursing and Moffitt Cancer Center have also created and launched the Trailblazer Externship Program in May 2022. USF Health College of Nursing students complete the first phase of this academic practice partnership program in USF classrooms and academic settings. Following completion, students will be eligible to be employed as a nurse extern at Moffitt Cancer Center.
“We need to support the nursing workforce, and that’s what WIRES is helping to do,” Dr. Rayna Letourneau, PhD, RN, founding director of USF Health’s WIRES program, said. “Bridge the gap between academia and practice and realize that we must work collaboratively to support nursing students, continue to support nurses after they’ve finished their education, and to retain them in our profession.”
DEDICATED EDUCATION UNIT AT
ST. PETERSBURG GENERAL HOSPITAL
Beginning in Fall 2022, USF Health College of Nursing and St. Petersburg General Hospital’s dedicated education unit (DEU) will offer level one first semester nursing students clinical training and education. The partnership between USF and St. Petersburg General Hospital allows for trained healthcare professionals at the hospital to educate students and facilitate learning in a clinical environment, preparing them for their careers after graduation.
According to Dr. Allyson Duffy, PhD, RN, associate professor at USF Health College of Nursing and director of the St. Petersburg Accelerated Pathway, research has suggested that a DEU is a more effective way of teaching students how to be successful in clinical settings. Dr. Duffy said that St. Petersburg General Hospital’s DEU includes a team of hospital personnel and USF faculty and staff who are trained to help students overcome the complexities of learning how to be a nurse. The DEU provides students the comfortability and familiarity of remaining at the same institution throughout their education, allowing for development of clinical judgment, psychomotor skills and monumental career growth.
And while the DEU offers an exciting opportunity for nursing students, Dr. Duffy said that it will also benefit St. Petersburg General Hospital. The DEU provides the opportunity for students to work as a nurse in their placement institution once they graduate, decreasing a hospital’s orientation and training time for new nurses. In addition, students will be able to start working independently at their institutions sooner.
As part of the partnership, an evaluation plan, including focus groups and surveys, is being created to determine the DEU’s succession and learn whether the DEU was helpful to the students’ learning. After evaluation of the Fall 2022 semester, USF Health College of Nursing will examine the outcomes of St. Petersburg General Hospital’s DEU and determine if the DEU should expand and continue in other institutions within the HCA Florida Healthcare hospital system as well as other hospital systems in the Tampa Bay area.
