Seminole State’s nursing program awarded $2 million to enhance operations

Seminole State College of Florida has secured $2 million in funding to better serve our community by providing funds for student scholarships, faculty recruitment, equipment purchase and the enhancement of simulation centers to advance high-quality nursing education programs. This marks the third year Seminole State College has received this funding. 

The State of Florida awarded Seminole State $1 million from the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund. The grant matches $500,000 donated by each of the College’s leading health care provider partners, AdventHealth and Orlando Health. 

Collaborations between nursing education programs and health care partners are critical to meet local, regional and state workforce demand. Recruiting faculty and clinical preceptors, increasing the capacity of high-quality nursing education programs and increasing the number of nursing education program graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce remain a top priority for this high impact industry.

Valuable partnerships, such as the ones forged between Seminole State College and AdventHealth and Orlando Health, bridge the gap between education and real-world practice, ensuring that the next generation of nurses is well-equipped to meet the evolving challenges of the health care industry.

“We are honored to receive this generous funding, which will directly impact the quality of nursing education and health care services in our community,” said Seminole State President Dr. Georgia L. Lorenz. “By investing in education and strengthening our partnerships, we are taking a significant step toward a more resilient and well-prepared health care workforce.”

The unwavering focus of these collaborations is on hands-on clinical training, mentorship opportunities, and workforce development programs that align with the needs of hospitals, clinics and other health care providers. The funding will also support technological advancements in nursing education, such as simulation labs and virtual learning tools.

Seminole State College’s nursing program is ranked 6^th in Florida for Associate Degree in Nursing graduates with NCLEX-RN pass rates in 2024 of 98.14 percent. 

“Even with our high NCLEX-RN pass rate and top-notch job placement rate, Seminole State understands there is more work to be done. Building upon our valuable and long-term relationships with AdventHealth and Orlando Health, these funds will enable us to pursue our goals of improving outcomes for the College’s A.S. program, thus increasing the number of highly qualified entry-level nurses available to serve in our state,” continued Lorenz.          

Seminole State offers several nursing programs including an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Nursing (RN), an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree with a Nursing Pathway, and an RN-to-BSN Online program (Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing) which answers the health care industry’s call for nurses with advanced training and provides graduates with high-growth, high-paying jobs.