Polk Nursing Programs Provide Well-Qualified Candidates to the Talent Pipeline
Quality staff, student-focused approaches and extensive hands-on experiences. These are the common denominators among the four nursing programs in Polk County whose national licensing exam passing rates are between 90-100%.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nurses will be high demand for the foreseeable future. The nurse practitioner role ranked #1 in U.S News and World Report’s “100 Best Jobs” and “100 Best Health Care Jobs” rankings. Nursing consistently lands on the Regional Demand Occupations List for Polk County with approximately 300 vacancies each year.
Four local institutions of higher education – Polk State College, Southeastern University, Florida Southern College and Keiser University – have established nursing programs. Webber International University has a new nursing program and will graduate its first class in December 2024.
Polk State College
Students in the Polk State’s Associate in Science Nursing (ASN) program have a 100% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The NCLEX is the occupation’s premier nursing exam. It includes “using real-world case studies to measure a nurse’s ability to think more critically and make the right decisions,” according to the NCLEX website.
Polk State attributes the perfect pass rate to investments in nursing education by the state and community partners. The state has funded $1.45 million for two programs. AdventHealth has donated $1.7 million to endow a Dean of Nursing position.
It used money from those grants and its partners — AdventHealth, BayCare, Lakeland Regional Health and Orlando Health — to open its Center for Human Simulation in November 2022. It recently received additional funds to retrofit the center. “We have such a great community of partnerships with all of the hospitals that come together to help us and support our students,” Professor of Nursing Danielle Delguidice said.
“Polk State Nursing is really set apart, because here we emphasize practice within the classroom. Students coming into any nursing program want to know that they are able to complete, graduate and get that job that they have been looking forward to,” said Dean of Nursing Deleise Wilson. “You have the support here.”
Wilson said that faculty have the expertise and professional experience needed in today’s world. In addition, “access to advanced technology and hands-on learning opportunities, and strong connections to clinical sites and community partners” is also critical.
Along with the ASN, Polk State has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Between these two programs, approximately 230 nurses graduate annually and there is a 100% employment rate.
“If someone were looking for a career in nursing, I would tell them that it is one of the most rewarding careers they could choose. There is such diversity in what you can do.”
-Danielle Delguidice, Prof. of Nursing at PSC
Southeastern University
Another education program providing top success, SEU had a 96% pass rate for the past two semesters. Mark Reinhardt, Chief Nurse Administrator and Professor of Nursing at SEU, said the program is successful because of the genuine culture at the school. “The great, caring and fully engaged faculty truly care about the students, their success and ensuring that we graduate a competent and caring RN.”
The university partners with Lakeland Regional Health, BayCare, The Dream Center, Talbot House and others, Reinhardt continued. “All of the clinical partners are all-in with our students. They provide great experiences, and all are part of our Advisory Board. They have a vested interest in providing an excellent environment for learning.”
Many graduates stay in the area and take jobs at BayCare or LRH. Most stay in Florida, he said.
Florida Southern College
At FSC, 96% of students passed NCLEX on the first try in the 2022-23 academic year.
“This achievement stems from our unwavering commitment to fostering clinical reasoning skills from the very first semester,” said Tracey Tedder, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “Our support system ensures students are well-prepared for clinical practice and to take the NCLEX. A standout feature of our program is the nursing seminar course in the final semester, which offers individualized, targeted coaching for each student, further enhancing their readiness and success.”
FSC’s nursing programs correspond with national standards by intentional design, she said. “The competencies were revised in 2021 in response to feedback from employers across the nation regarding the knowledge and skills new graduates need.” This sets them up for success in their exams and eventual careers.
The Picture of Success
FSC collaborates with in-patient and out-patient community organizations. Tedder said “to ensure students are well-prepared to provide quality care across diverse settings.”
“Major partners include Lakeland Regional Health, BayCare, Watson Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Centers in the Region… Practice and clinical experiences occur across multiple settings to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for providing outstanding, evidence-based patient care while also acquiring the competencies needed to lead practice changes to improve clinical and organizational outcomes. Promoting the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of care is very important to health care organizations today.”
Keiser University
In the last 5 quarters, NCLEX passage rates were 92% for all Keiser University ASN and BSN students. In the same vein, over 90% of recent graduates had job offers before they graduated.
Samantha Thompson, Director of Nursing Programs at the Lakeland Campus, said two things make the Keiser programs successful.
- “Great faculty with a common commitment and focus. As a nursing faculty, we practice effective communications at all levels. And we work together to meet the varied needs of our diverse nursing students.
- “Keiser University’s student-first mentality: the entire university believes in providing the support our student population needs while maintaining the rigorous curriculum at the highest level. It is our firm belief that all students can be successful if given the opportunity and support.”
“From the May 2024 graduating class, 95% of our graduates are currently employed in Polk County. LRH thoroughly enjoys our nursing students because they tend to stay local in Polk County. The retention rate of the Keiser nursing graduates is among the highest for their employees.”
Regional Impact
Population estimates within Polk County and the Central Florida region have far exceeded original forecasts. Due to this, needs of our community, including those for health care services will also grow. Community health providers have an accelerated need for trained staff. Polk County’s secondary institutions are well-equipped to supply a qualified nursing talent pipeline and recent graduates are hitting the mark on state exams.
