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As healthcare systems statewide struggle to keep pace with patient demand, the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital are forging a new model of clinical readiness.
The two institutions celebrated the opening of a newly expanded USF Health College of Nursing, a $33 million project, with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting on Aug. 14. A cutting-edge simulation hub will anchor the new three-story, 42,000-square-foot facility.
Florida faces a projected shortage of nearly 20,000 registered nurses over the next decade, according to USF’s announcement. Local stakeholders believe the new state-of-the-art facility will help mitigate an ongoing crisis and ensure graduates are prepared to face the realities of modern medicine.
“At USF, we believe one of our greatest responsibilities is preparing the people Florida needs,” said USF President Moez Limayem. “This facility will help us educate even more nursing students, strengthen the talent pipeline, and prepare graduates who are ready to enter the workforce with the confidence, skill, and experience to provide exceptional care.”
USF already graduates more new nurses than any institution in Florida. However, the university is not about to rest on its laurels.
As part of the expansion, the College of Nursing has committed to graduating an additional 500 students by 2028. The school is already on track to exceed that goal.
The centerpiece of the expansion - the Tampa General Hospital Nursing Simulation Center - was engineered to bridge the gap between abstract theory and real-world clinical chaos. Supported by a $4.4 million investment from TGH and encompassing the building’s first floor, the facility features 12 clinical exam rooms, six high-fidelity simulation rooms, six control rooms, four simulation learning labs, six debriefing classrooms, and a multipurpose lab.
Students will utilize the unique spaces to develop and refine real-world nursing skills, such as administering medications and identifying sepsis, in a controlled setting where mistakes are allowed and teach critical lessons. Usha Menon, dean of the College of Nursing, said the expansion represents growth, opportunity, and “a commitment to meeting one of Florida’s greatest healthcare needs.”
“Every student who walks through these doors, every discovery made here, and every patient whose life is improved because of the education that happens inside this building, will be part of the legacy we celebrate today,” Menon added.
A state allocation approved in 2022 funded the expansion. Construction began in 2024 and is on time and on budget, according to USF.
The new building’s second floor includes a “premier classroom” that can accommodate up to 160 students, a multipurpose room, study spaces, and an additional lobby area. USF expects its third floor, which will house research labs, to open in January 2027.
For students like Ariana Sawyer, the investments are personal. While the technology is impressive, she views the facility as a sanctuary for the trial and error required to achieve excellence in the field.
“Someday, someone will trust us with their life, and we want to be ready,” said Sawyer, student council president for the College of Nursing. “Because of USF, we will be ready to provide exceptional care.”
The project is another physical manifestation of a partnership with TGH that dates back to 1970. Hospital and university leadership have since expanded their collaboration across four colleges to bolster academic, research, and clinical efforts throughout Tampa Bay.
USF Health and TGH now boast one of the nation’s leading networks, with over 1,000 providers annually caring for more than one million patients. John Couris, CEO of Tampa General, noted that “nurses are the heart of every health system, and investing in their education is one of the most meaningful ways we can strengthen patient care for generations to come.”
Founded in 1973, the USF Health College of Nursing now enrolls nearly 2,000 students. It boasts the state’s top-ranked Master of Science in Nursing program and hosts the Florida Center for Nursing, a state-funded workforce development facility.
USF Health’s expanding footprint also extends across the bay with a new four-year Freshman Nursing Pathway program on the St. Petersburg campus. The initiative will allow approximately 85 students to begin preparing for a nursing career immediately after entering college each year.