Like other rapidly growing states, Florida is experiencing a significant and ongoing nursing shortage. Nursing schools around the state are addressing this concern, standing up a variety of accelerated and innovative health care training programs.
Many of these programs cater to older professionals in other fields wanting to make a career change and to younger students looking for affordable and fast-paced online programs.
With over 500 students enrolled, the University of West Florida’s School of Nursing is the largest program in the Panhandle. Its stature among southeastern nursing schools has increased significantly in recent years.
For example, in 2024 more than 97% of UWF nursing school graduates passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) the first time they took it. By comparison, Florida’s first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate was 84.9% in 2024, while the national average last year for RNs was 91%.
Among UWF’s newest programs is the Direct Entry MSN, designed for individuals who hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and want to become a registered nurse with a master’s-level credential.
“We started the Direct Entry Master of Science program in August of 2023 with seven students. It is a five-semester program that has become a very popular track for students who already have their bachelor’s degree,” says Brandy Clayton, assistant professor of clinical practice.
“The program has grown tremendously over the past two years — so fast, in fact, that this fall semester we had to cut off the number of students accepted at 20.”
UWF’s Direct Entry program caters to students like Cindy Dirk, a mother of five who holds a bachelor’s degree in business and is a full-time employee with Baptist Health Care in Pensacola.
Dirk had been looking for a master’s-level nursing program ever since moving to Pensacola from Texas with her family.
“I knew these types of master’s programs were out there,” says Dirk. “I saw the Direct Entry program on the UWF website and was really excited to have the chance to pursue a master’s-level degree in nursing. It’s just an awesome opportunity.” With a husband in the military and often deployed to various Air Force bases, Dirk says having a nursing degree offers some reliable job security.
“One of the great things about having a nursing degree is that you can get a job pretty much everywhere you are,” she says. “And we move around quite a bit.”
In addition to the Direct Entry program, UWF also offers an accelerated, entirely online RN to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree. The 30-credit-hour program with eight-week sessions allows flexibility for working nurses, and includes guided clinical practice and hands-on activities within local hospitals and health care facilities.
As UWF’s nursing school continues to grow, other nursing schools in the region also are expanding programs to meet the need for nurses throughout Florida and beyond.
A good example is Northwest Florida State College’s recent completion of a $40-million expansion of nursing program facilities on its Niceville campus.
The expansion, which opened in early September, features advanced technology that includes virtual reality, game-based learning and simulation labs designed to help the college double its nursing program enrollment by 2026.
“The program has grown tremendously over the past two years – so fast, in fact, that this fall semester we had to cut off the number of students accepted at 20.” — Brandy Clayton, assistant professor of clinical practice, University of West Florida