IRSC to Reveal Plans for Nursing Program Expansion
IRSC to Reveal Plans for Nursing Program Expansion
November 30, 2021 Suzanne Seldes
"Reimagining Nursing” Construction Kick-Off
Set for December 14 on Port St. Lucie Campus
FORT PIERCE, FL—There’s a critical need for more nurses in Florida. According to the Florida Hospital Association, by 2035, the state will have 59,100 fewer nurses than it requires. In direct response to this workforce crisis, on Tuesday, December 14, Indian River State College will announce plans to double the number of graduates in its nursing programs and launch the construction phase of a project that moves the IRSC School of Nursing to its Pruitt Campus in Port St. Lucie by Fall 2023.
The public is invited to attend the event on IRSC’s Pruitt Campus (500 N.W. California Blvd.) at 10:00 a.m. The event site, Building G, is one of two structures slated for complete re-imagination as IRSC works with Harvard Jolly Architecture—one of the largest firms in Florida with expertise in healthcare architecture and interior design—to transform the buildings into state-of-the-art nursing classrooms and simulated clinical settings. Proctor Construction, the firm responsible for the new Advanced Workforce Training Complex and multiple IRSC renovation projects, will construct the new home for the School of Nursing.
“Graduates of the IRSC Nursing program have always been highly sought-after,” states Dr. Timothy Moore, IRSC President. “Not a week goes by where at least one local healthcare facility reaches out to our School of Nursing to connect with alumni or soon-to-be graduates. By expanding our Nursing program and investing in these modern facilities, we can be even more responsive to our partners’ workforce needs.”
IRSC Associate Degree and R.N. to B.S.N. Nursing programs are nationally accredited, and students train to local and state clinical requirements. Licensure and certification rates for IRSC Associate Degree in Nursing students are consistently above state and national levels. Over the past three years, the average employment rate for IRSC A.D.N. graduates averaged 99%.
The December 14 event will feature renderings of the facilities, nursing simulations, a meet-and-greet with IRSC nursing students and faculty, and addresses from Nancy Hilton, M.N., R.N., NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer, St. Lucie Medical Center; Robert Lord Jr., President, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health; and Dr. Timothy Moore, President, Indian River State College.
Those interested in joining IRSC at the “Reimaging Nursing” event should R.S.V.P. to Nina Jewett, Pruitt Campus Coordinator, at 772-336-6210 or njewett@irsc.edu no later than Monday, December 12.
