TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Tampa police chief to step down, take teaching job at USF <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cLiterally, this morning when I put on my scrubs, I\u2019m like this is what I want to do,\u201d said Marina Bozeman, a junior at St. Petersburg High School.<\/p>\n Marina Bozeman is one of the 50 high schoolers putting on her stethoscope and scrubs for the Pepin Family USF Nursing Pathway Summer Program.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to go into oncology and give back. I\u2019ve had amazing nurses with my family. We have had a lot of cancer, and I\u2019m so grateful to the nurses who have helped my grandpa. So I want to give back to something that means a lot to me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Learning anatomy, dressing wounds, and practicing CPR is something these students are happy to get a chance to experience.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s 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,\u201d said Courtney Wilson, a senior at River Ridge High School.<\/p>\n Based on an analysis done by the Florida Hospital Association,<\/a> by 2035, it said the state will face a shortage of more than 59,000 nurses.<\/p>\n \u201cFlorida is facing this crisis, and we believe this pipeline is pushing out more nurses to be a part of the program,\u201d said Tina Pepin, executive director of the Pepin Family Foundation.<\/p>\n Health care professionals said the shortage is something they are concerned about, but programs like this help.<\/p>\n \u201cWe make these simulations and learning experiences as realistic as possible to mirror what they\u2019re going to see in the actual workforce,\u201d said Dr. Karen Aul, USF College of Nursing.<\/p>\n The hope is that one day, these students will trade in this clinical experience for the real thing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt 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,\u201d Aul said.<\/p>\n Bozeman said she is dedicated to becoming an oncology nurse to help make a difference in people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n This program goes until Friday when the students will have an awards ceremony. Registration for this program will open up again next March<\/a>.<\/p>\n Amid this nursing shortage, USF has an accelerated nursing program. The program allows people with a bachelor\u2019s degree in a non-nursing field to transition into nursing career in as little as 16 months.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n