Nursing Scholarships: USF Sarasota-Manatee campus

the project

With more than 40% of nurses practicing in the state of Florida planning to retire in the next 10 years we’re facing a critical shortage of care givers, threatening the ability of our health care system to function. Along with those who will be retiring is also a group of nurses who are simply fatigued due to stress, which has been elevated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To address this crisis the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, in partnership with USF’s College of Nursing, established an accelerated nursing degree program in 2020. Through an intense four-semester program, well trained and highly-skilled graduates receive a second bachelors in nursing (BSN) and are able to enter the workforce quickly. Now in its second year, the program has grown to 70 students and plans to double enrollment within the next two years.

To support this program, Sarasota resident and USF supporter Philip D. King, a recipient of exceptional nursing care, established a nursing scholarship in memory of his longtime friend and philanthropist Betty Schoenbaum. A visionary full of grace, generosity, compassion and boundless love, Betty’s “joy of giving is the joy of living” motto inspired Phil to pay it forward by investing in an area close to his heart, our nursing program.

the impact

Anyone who has spent any time in a hospital knows just how invaluable nurses are. They administer medications to patients, monitor their vital signs and even just spend time with patients, helping calm frayed nerves. Your support will provide immediate financial assistance to our nursing students and contribute to preparing the next generation of academically, experientially and emotionally trained care-givers.

By supporting the Phillip D. King Scholarship in Memory of Betty Schoenbaum you can help students, enrolled in the new Sarasota-Manatee campus accelerated second degree nursing program, enter the workforce NOW and be ready to provide the necessary patient care so desperately needed.

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