TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The shortage of health care workers is something on the minds of many hospital workers. As the state, and country, continues to face a shortage, USF and the Pepin Family Foundation are working together to try and help meet the need.

Fifty students are participating in this nursing program. From things like CPR to dressing wounds, they are getting hands-on experiences that mimic real-life situations they can encounter if they join the health care profession.

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“Literally, this morning when I put on my scrubs, I’m like this is what I want to do,” said Marina Bozeman, a junior at St. Petersburg High School.

Marina Bozeman is one of the 50 high schoolers putting on her stethoscope and scrubs for the Pepin Family USF Nursing Pathway Summer Program.

“I want to go into oncology and give back. I’ve had amazing nurses with my family. We have had a lot of cancer, and I’m so grateful to the nurses who have helped my grandpa. So I want to give back to something that means a lot to me,” she said.

Learning anatomy, dressing wounds, and practicing CPR is something these students are happy to get a chance to experience.

“It’s getting me to dip my toes into what I could expect instead of just talking to people who have already done it, and I just get hands-on experience,” said Courtney Wilson, a senior at River Ridge High School.

Based on an analysis done by the Florida Hospital Association, by 2035, it said the state will face a shortage of more than 59,000 nurses.

“Florida is facing this crisis, and we believe this pipeline is pushing out more nurses to be a part of the program,” said Tina Pepin, executive director of the Pepin Family Foundation.

Health care professionals said the shortage is something they are concerned about, but programs like this help.

“We make these simulations and learning experiences as realistic as possible to mirror what they’re going to see in the actual workforce,” said Dr. Karen Aul, USF College of Nursing.

The hope is that one day, these students will trade in this clinical experience for the real thing.

“It brings me tremendous joy. I love to see that enthusiasm of the future generation, because I know those are the students who are going to be taking care of me someday,” Aul said.

Bozeman said she is dedicated to becoming an oncology nurse to help make a difference in people’s lives.

“I want to be the nurse that the families are like yes, Marina is working today, I know today is going to be a good day,” she said.

This program goes until Friday when the students will have an awards ceremony. Registration for this program will open up again next March.

Amid this nursing shortage, USF has an accelerated nursing program. The program allows people with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field to transition into nursing career in as little as 16 months.

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