The University of South Florida’s College of Nursing received $1.3 million through the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund to expand its nursing education partnerships and support workforce growth.
LINE is a state program that brings together nursing education programs and health care partners to help meet the demand for nurses as Florida and other states continue to face nursing shortages.
The College of Nursing will receive $642,143 in state funding, which will be matched by area health care partners, bringing the total funding to nearly $1.3 million.
The funding will support student scholarships, success coaching, certification costs and other initiatives to support nursing students, according to the university.
“When our healthcare partners and the state of Florida invest in nursing education, they are investing in the future of healthcare,” said Usha Menon, dean of the College of Nursing and senior associate vice president of USF Health, in a press release. “I’ve seen firsthand the difference this program makes for our students, opening doors and expanding opportunities as they prepare to become the nurses our communities need. We are deeply grateful to our healthcare partners and the state for their shared commitment to our students.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis established the LINE program in 2022. This year, six partners contributed to USF’s total funding.
The LINE funding partners and their contributions are:
- Tampa General Hospital: $500,000
- Moffitt Cancer Center: $50,000
- Empath Health: $25,000
- Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital: $25,000
- Sunshine Health: $25,000
- Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital: $17,143
The College of Nursing has been working to address the nursing shortage by partnering with local organizations to create pathways into the workforce and provide early exposure to nursing for high school students.
The university also said the recent expansion of its nursing building at the USF St. Petersburg campus will help address the need for more nurses across Florida.
