SARASOTA-MANATEE COUNTIES (WSNN) – As COVID-19 descended upon us a year ago, USF Sarasota-Manatee added a new program to its Suncoast campus. Talk about fabulous timing.
“I think now going through this pandemic has really made more people aware of our role as a nurse what we’re capable of,” USF Accelerated Nursing Program Director, Dr. Natasha Zurcher said.
With a nationwide nursing shortage, the USF Health College of Nursing expanded to the Sarasota-Manatee campus last January. But, instead of the traditional five-semester program, it’s an Accelerated Second Degree pathway of four-semesters.
“They are prepared to work in all different areas; community health, outpatient ambulatory settings,” Dr. Zurcher said. “They are prepared to take leadership roles as well.”
Students only had about eight weeks of traditional learning before COVID shut everything down. Their biggest obstacle with the pandemic?
“Probably getting thrust into the online learning and being taken out of the labs,” nursing student, Katie Molinari said. “Specifically for me, the labs were very helpful when it came to learning the skills before we got checked off because we got to practice so much.”
Students and faculty were shut out of the lab for several months. But despite the challenges, all 30 students who started last January are on track to graduate in May. Molinari is among the grads.
“And I think our entire cohort has really had to hone on the skill of being able to adapt to changing situations and being able to learn quickly,” Molinari said.
And the inaugural class of 2021 persevered.
“Although it has been challenging at times, I think that if we can get through nursing school during a pandemic, then we can probably do just about anything,” Molinari said.
10 more students were added to the second cohort this January.