Florida’s Nursing Education Program Report Academic Year 2022-2023 

Report Citation Information: 
Florida Center for Nursing (2023). Florida’s Nursing Education Program Report, Academic Year 2022-2023. Tampa, FL. 

This report was prepared by Rayna M. Letourneau, PhD, RN, Executive Director, Florida Center for Nursing and Associate Professor, University of South Florida College of Nursing. 

If you require this report in an alternate format, please contact us via email at FLCenterforNursing@usf.edu 

Acknowledgements 

The Florida Center for Nursing (FCN) would like to thank the deans, directors, department chairs, and support staff of the nursing education programs throughout Florida. This report would not be possible without their participation in the FCN’s nursing education program survey. 

The Executive Director of the Florida Center for Nursing would also like to acknowledge the following individuals and organizations for their contributions to this work:  

Abigail Carden, MPH, CPH Data Engineer 
Florida Center for Nursing 

Alec Jimenez Data Engineer 
Florida Center for Nursing 

University of South Florida College of Nursing  

Department of Information Systems Technology School of Modeling, Simulation & Training University of Central Florida  

Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality 

Assurance Bureau of Health Care Practitioner Regulation, Board of Nursing National Forum of State

Nursing Workforce Centers 

Florida Center for Nursing Board of Directors 

Florida Center for Nursing

About Us 
The Florida Center for Nursing is established to research and address issues of supply and demand for nursing, including issues of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse workforce resources. 

Develop 
A strategic statewide plan for the nursing workforce in this state. 

Enhance
And promote recognition, reward, and renewal activities for the nurses in this state. 

Convene 
Various groups representative of nurses, other health care providers, business and industry, consumers, legislators, and educators. 

Headquartered at the University of South Florida College of Nursing 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC 22 Tampa, FL 33612 

Table of Contents 

1: List of Abbreviations 

2: Introduction 

4: Survey Methodology 

6: Results

11: Overview of the Nursing Education Programs in Florida

36: Next Steps

37: Appendix A

53: Appendix B

List of Abbreviations  

Introduction 

The Florida Center for Nursing (FCN) was established in 2001 to address issues related to Florida’s nurse supply and demand (Florida Statute §464.0195). 

Consistent with Florida statute (§464.019), the FCN evaluated data for approved and accredited nursing programs in the state of Florida for academic year (AY) 2022-2023. 

This report provides information about the nursing education programs in Florida, including the programs’ capacity, enrollment, graduates, and demographic data that potentially contribute to the state’s nursing workforce. Prelicensure nursing programs are the pipeline to the nursing workforce. It is critical for nursing programs to prepare candidates prepared for success on the national licensure examination and fill vacant and new positions. A consistent inability for employers to fill vacant nursing positions may result in decreased access to quality and safe nursing care for the people and visitors of Florida. 

All data are presented in an aggregate format. In addition to statewide findings, the FCN deems it critical to evaluate nursing education program data at the regional level. The FCN divides the state into 8 geographic regions:  

• East Central Region – Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties. 

• North Central Region – Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Madison, Marion, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, and Wakulla counties. 

• Northeast Region – Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. 

• Northwest Region – Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, and Washington counties. 

• South Region – Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. 

• Southeast Region – Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties. 

• Southwest Region – Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties. 

• West Central Region – Desoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties. 

Survey Methodology  

Nursing education programs were identified from the Florida Department of Health Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) Search Services website (https://mqa-in- ternet.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/NursingPrograms), which maintains an updated database of Practical Nursing (PN), Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, and entry into practice Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs by National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) code. The search service does not track post-licensure nursing programs that do not lead to a new license. Survey respondents with a prelicensure NCLEX code were able to provide information on affiliated post-licensure programs. 

Prelicensure nursing programs include prelicensure programs offered by Florida state universities, colleges, public school districts, private institutions licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education (CIE), private institutions that are members of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF), and religious institutions authorized by law to offer nursing programs. 

Post-licensure RN programs advance the training of licensed RNs and include Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs, and nursing certificates. Upon completion of some masters and doctorate programs, registered nurses transition to an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license. These roles include Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). 

Data Collection 
The “FCN Nursing Education Program Survey” was an electronic survey sent to PN and RN programs with NCLEX codes. Email invitations and reminders were sent to the last known contact identified on surveys submitted in 2022. Additional outreach efforts were made via phone and email when addresses or contact information were deemed invalid. Surveys were accessible between September 5, 2023 through October 19, 2023. Programs were asked to report data about the 2022-2023 academic year (AY). The AY 2022-2023 is defined as the Fall (August/September) 2022 term through the Summer (July/August) 2023 term. Surveys could be saved then completed and submitted later. 

Measures 
Capacity. Capacity is measured in terms of number of nursing programs and quantities that the programs can produce. The following definitions were used to determine capacity of nursing programs: 

• Number of vacant student seats: the maximum possible number of new students that could enroll in a program in a single academic year (includes first-time enrollees and re-admits). 

• Number of applications received: the number of students that submitted applications for admission for AY 2022-2023. 

• Number of qualified applicants: the total number of program applicants who met the minimum admission standards. 

• Number of students admitted: the number of qualified applicants that were accepted into the program. This includes newly admitted students and re-admits (i.e., students previously in the nursing program who dropped out and had to reapply for admission). 

• Number of admitted students who enrolled: Enrolled students include those that registered for course work and paid fees. 

Student Retention. Retention rates consider the proportion of a cohort of newly enrolled students that have graduated or are still enrolled one year later, compared to those that leave without completing their degree program. Survey participants were asked to report on the status of a cohort of students in a generic traditional program one year after their first enroll- ment in either Fall 2021, Spring 2022, or Summer 2022. 

Budgeted, Filled, and Vacant Faculty Positions. In this section, respondents reported the number of budgeted faculty positions and vacancies, the composition of the program’s faculty, and current and future need for additional faculty positions. Full-time faculty were defined as instructional, administrative, or research staff of the nursing academic unit who are employed full-time as defined by the institution, hold academic rank, carry the full scope of faculty responsibility (e.g., teaching, advisement, committee work), and receive rights and privileges associated with full-time employment. These faculty members may be tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure track. Part-time faculty were defined as instructional, administrative, or research staff of the nursing academic unit who are employed part-time as defined by the institution, may or may not hold academic rank, carry responsibility for a specific area (e.g., teaching a single course), and may carry any number of titles (e.g., adjunct, clinical instructor). 

Institution Characteristics. Respondents reported the category that best describes their institution: public non-profit school, private non-profit school, or proprietary (private, for-profit) school. 

Demographic Characteristics of Faculty and Students. Respondents reported number of faculty and students by race/ ethnicity. Race and ethnicity categories included American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black non-Hispanic, Hispanic/ Latino, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, White non-Hispanic, Other, and Unknown. 

Results 

In August 2023, there were 518 prelicensure PN and RN nursing education programs in the state of Florida. 

The following table identifies the number of PN and RN programs with NCLEX codes in Florida categorized by program type, degree type, profit type, and geographic region. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau1, Florida’s population is most dense in the west central, south, and east central regions. The number of nursing programs in Florida tends to follow census trends except for in the northeast and west central regions.  

2023 Nursing Education Survey: Number of Education Programs vs. Regional FL Census 

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The following graph compares the total number of nursing programs per 100,000 people in the eight regions of Florida and statewide. 

2023 Nursing Education Survey: Total Number of Nursing Programs per 100,000 Regional Population 

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1  https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/florida-population-change-between-census-decade.html 

Responses to the FCN Nursing Education Program Survey 

One institution closed three programs after data collection was initiated. The program codes were removed from the MQA database, so the closed programs were omitted from the final sample (recalculating the final sample to 515 nursing education programs). 

A total of 405 programs (78.64%) completed and submitted the FCN Nursing Education Program survey.  

Of the 405 programs that responded to the FCN Nursing Education Program survey, 257 were RN programs and 148 were PN programs. The RN programs were further classified by type of certificate or degree type: PN certificate, diploma, ADN, BSN, and MSN programs. The following table demonstrates the number of responses to the FCN Nursing Education Program Survey by categories of program type, degree type, profit type, and geographic region.  

Not all approved programs had students enrolled during AY 2022-2023. Of the 405 responses, 332 programs had students enrolled and 73 programs did not have students enrolled. 

 2023 Nursing Education Survey: Number of Education Programs and Education Programs with Students Enrolled 

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The following table identifies the percentage of approved and accredited nursing education programs with students enrolled during AY 2022-2023 for each region and statewide. 

Percentage of Programs with Students Enrolled 

When comparing nursing programs with students enrolled during AY 2022-2023, there are more accredited and probationary programs compared to approved programs. 

Percentage of Programs with Students Enrolled

Overview of the Nursing Education Programs in Florida 

The number of approved nursing education programs in Florida continues to grow from 482 programs in 2020 to 515 programs in 2023. The following table identifies the total enrollment, acceptance rates, and student to faculty ratios of prelicensure nursing programs in Florida trended over the past three years. Total enrollment values reported are a tabulation of reported data from nursing education programs that responded to the FCN survey for the respective academic years. 

Taking a deeper dive into the capacity of prelicensure and post-licensure nursing education programs in Florida, the following table identifies the number of seats for new students, the number of qualified and accepted applicants, acceptance rate, enrollment, and number of graduates statewide, per program type, and by institution characteristics (public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit) for AY 2022-2023. The values reported in the following table are a tabulation of reported data from nursing education programs that responded to the FCN survey for the respective academic years. 

Overview of the Nursing Education Programs in Florida 

The number of approved nursing education programs in Florida continues to grow from 482 programs in 2020 to 515 programs in 2023. The following table identifies the total enrollment, acceptance rates, and student to faculty ratios of prelicensure nursing programs in Florida trended over the past three years. Total enrollment values reported are a tabulation of reported data from nursing education programs that responded to the FCN survey for the respective academic years.  

Taking a deeper dive into the capacity of prelicensure and post-licensure nursing education programs in Florida, the following table identifies the number of seats for new students, the number of qualified and accepted applicants, acceptance rate, enrollment, and number of graduates statewide, per program type, and by institution characteristics (public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit) for AY 2022-2023. The values reported in the following table are a tabulation of reported data from nursing education programs that responded to the FCN survey for the respective academic years. 

The number of qualified applicants, admission, and enrollment values were trended over time. The table below identifies mean values for PN, ADN, and BSN nursing education programs. Note, only programs that responded to the FCN Nursing Education Program Survey in academic years 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 were included in this evaluation. 

Prelicensure nursing programs were asked to report reasons, if any, for not accepting more applicants to their respective nursing programs. PN programs (31.1%) and BSN programs (34%) report most frequently that the reason for not accepting more applicants was because of a lack of qualified student applicants.  

Evaluation of Student Admission and Progression Criteria 

In AY 2022-2023, 74.3% of PN programs, 77.3% of ADN programs, and 66% of BSN programs required that applicants completed pre-admission standardized testing. Other admission requirements for PN, ADN, and BSN programs included interviews, letters of recommendation, and minimum grades in prerequisite courses. Prelicensure nursing students are often required to receive minimum course grades for progression through the nursing program. Fewer PN programs (53.4%) required a minimum course grade for progression compared to ADN programs and (68.8%) BSN programs (64.1%). 

Student Retention 
Retention data is critical when considering the number of student nurses progressing through their respective nursing education programs to graduation and ultimately becoming qualified to take the NCLEX and enter the nursing workforce. In AY 2022-2023, student retention rates are highest among Florida’s BSN programs. In fact, the BSN programs had higher student retention rates compared to ADN and PN programs for the past three years.  

Taking a deeper dive into the programmatic student retention rates for AY 2022-2023, the FCN analyzed retention rates by comparing institutional characteristics. During AY 2022-2023, student retention rates were highest in Florida’s public BSN programs and lowest in Florida’s private, for-profit PN programs.  

Budgeted, Filled, and Vacant Faculty Positions 
Statewide full-time (FT) and part-time (PT) nursing faculty vacancy rates were evaluated overtime by program type. FT and PT faculty vacancy rates decreased from AY 2021-2022 to AY 2022-2023 for PN programs. FT faculty vacancy rates increased for ADN programs from AY 2021-2022 to AY 2022-2023 while PT faculty vacancy rates decreased. BSN programs reported a decrease in FT faculty vacancies since last academic year but an increase in the PT faculty vacancy rate from AY 2021-2022 to AY 2022-2023. Overall, all nursing education programs in Florida reported more FT new hires compared to number of separations.  

Public PN and BSN programs and private nonprofit ADN programs all reported FT nursing faculty vacancy rates greater than 14%. Public PN programs had the highest PT nursing faculty vacancy rate (22.46%) compared to all other programs.  

Respondents reported barriers to faculty recruitment. ADN and BSN programs reported the most prevalent barrier to recruiting and filling RN faculty vacancies is a limited pool of qualified applicants. PN program reported the greatest barrier to recruiting and filling PN faculty vacancies was an uncompetitive salary. The following tables trend barriers to faculty recruitment over time for PN, ADN, and BSN programs.  

Additionally, respondents reported the most difficult faculty positions to fill related to specialty areas of nursing practice. All nursing education programs in the state reported that pediatric/child health and obstetrics followed by psychiatric/ mental health were the most difficult nursing faculty positions to fill.  

Demographic Characteristics of Nursing Faculty and Nursing Students 
The National Academy of Medicine’s Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity2 report recommends a diverse nursing workforce that reflects the people and communities for whom they care. The demographic characteristics of nursing faculty and nursing students are presented in the tables and graphs below.  

2023 Nursing Education Survey: FT Faculty Gender Distribution

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2 https://nam.edu/publications/the-future-of-nursing-2020-2030/ 

2023 Nursing Education Survey: PT Faculty Gender Distribution

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2023 Nursing Education Survey: Student Gender Distribution 

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