The University of Florida College of Nursing celebrated 10 years of its Jacksonville campus Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program on April 30, highlighting a decade of expanded access to nursing education, workforce development and community impact across Northeast Florida.
The event comes as the college also celebrates two additional milestones this year, its 70th anniversary and 25 years of UF Health Archer Family Health Care, a nurse-led clinic that has long served rural and underserved communities while providing hands-on learning opportunities for students.
College leaders, faculty, students and community partners gathered to recognize the milestone and reflect on the campus’s growth since the 2016 launch of the partnership with UF Health Jacksonville.
Shakira Henderson, PhD, DNP, MS, MPH, MBA, IBCLC, RNC-NICC, dean of the UF College of Nursing and system chief nurse executive for UF Health, said the Jacksonville campus represents a strategic commitment to meeting the state’s growing demand for highly trained nurses while strengthening care in underserved communities.
“This campus reflects our mission in action,” Henderson said. “We are preparing nurses who are ready to lead, deliver high-quality care and improve health outcomes across Florida and beyond.”
Professor Michael Aull, MSN, RN, CEN, CNEcl, who helped lead the development of the Jacksonville partnership, reflected on its early vision and rapid expansion. What began as a focused effort to increase access to nursing education in Northeast Florida has grown into a robust academic site supporting undergraduate programs, including the ABSN track.
Aull said the campus was built on collaboration between academic leadership and health system partners, with a clear goal of strengthening the regional workforce and creating new pathways into the profession.
That impact continues to grow, supported in part by philanthropy. Rodney G.B. Clements was recognized for his significant financial contribution to the College of Nursing, a gift that supports student success and program advancement in Jacksonville. Clements, a Gator Nurse graduate, owns RN Enterprises Infusion Services and lives in Jacksonville.
Clements said investing in nursing education is essential to the future of health care.
“This is about creating opportunity and strengthening the pipeline of nurses who will care for our communities,” Clements said. “Supporting this campus is an investment in the future of health care in our region.”
Over the past decade, the Jacksonville campus has helped expand enrollment, increase access to nursing education and prepare graduates who are entering the workforce across hospitals, clinics and community settings throughout the region.
Henderson said the anniversary is both a celebration and a call to continue building on that momentum.
“We are proud of what has been accomplished here over the past 10 years,” she said. “And we are just getting started.”
The event underscored the College of Nursing’s continued focus on innovation, partnership and preparing the next generation of nurses to meet evolving health care needs.