USF celebrates construction milestone for new facility aimed at addressing Florida’s nursing shortage

By Cody Hawley, USF Health

With the final steel beam raised into place, the USF Health College of Nursing celebrated a major milestone today in an expansion project that will transform nursing education at the University of South Florida and strengthen the state’s health care workforce.

The Topping Out Ceremony brought together state lawmakers, university leaders and community partners to mark the completion of the building’s structural frame, with attendees signing the final beam before it was lifted atop the reconstructed College of Nursing on USF’s Tampa campus.

“The University of South Florida is committed to providing solutions to the challenges facing our communities, and today we are taking an important step to address the shortage of nurses in Florida,” USF President Rhea Law said. “Thanks to the support from our state leaders, particularly Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson during his time in the Florida Legislature, and our partners at Tampa General Hospital, this project will allow us to graduate significantly more highly trained nurses to help meet a critical workforce need and deliver even greater care for patients in the Tampa Bay region.”

Set to open in fall 2026, the new 34,000-square-foot facility will feature modern clinical spaces, flexible learning labs and a cutting-edge simulation center. The expansion will allow USF to increase undergraduate nursing enrollment by 500 students by 2028, reinforcing the university’s leadership in meeting the state’s growing demand for qualified nurses.  

This $33 million project was made possible through a strategic state investment by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature in 2022. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Wilton Simpson, who was Senate President at the time, played a pivotal role in securing the funding and championing the project’s significance to the state’s health care system. 

“We looked at where we get our critical nurses from and it’s from the universities — with USF at the top of that list,” Simpson said. “We want to make sure we are producing the most qualified nursing students anywhere in the country, and here at USF, anywhere in the state. This project is something I am very proud of, and the $33 million will clearly turn into a great investment.”

Building on that state investment, Tampa General Hospital committed $4.4 million in 2023 to create the Tampa General Hospital Nursing Simulation Center, an advanced lab providing immersive training environments for students as they prepare for real-world care delivery. The new center will include 12 clinical examination rooms, six debriefing classrooms and six control rooms. 

“USF Health is absolutely committed to fighting Florida's nursing shortage and expanding our program,” said Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “We know that a larger nursing workforce is absolutely vital if we are to continue improving the lives and health of patients across Florida. We are incredibly grateful to Gov. Ron DeSantis, Commissioner Wilton Simpson and our state legislators, and Tampa General Hospital for sharing our commitment and supporting the expansion of the college.”

The College of Nursing’s continued growth also reflects its deep partnerships with local and regional health care systems, helping to create seamless pathways from education to employment. USF graduates more nurses than any other institution in Florida and is home to the top-ranked Master of Science in Nursing program in the state. 

“What began as a site of debris and dirt has since evolved into three stories of steel beams — the physical foundation of the bold next chapter for the nursing at USF,” said Usha Menon, dean of the USF Health College of Nursing. “We have the deepest gratitude to our elected officials and representatives who made all of this possible. Your investment in nursing education is already making a measurable impact, helping us strengthen the nursing workforce and improve patient care across the state of Florida.”