Tampa, Fla. (April 21, 2025) — The University of South Florida (USF) Health College of Nursing marked a key moment in its expansion project with a Topping Out Ceremony on April 17, celebrating the placement of the final steel beam atop a new facility designed to address Florida’s nursing shortage.
Held on USF’s Tampa campus, the event brought together university leaders, lawmakers, and community partners, who signed the beam before it was raised into position — a symbolic milestone in a $33 million project aimed at transforming nursing education and growing the health care workforce.
“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.
Set to open in fall 2026, the 34,000-square-foot facility will include modern clinical spaces, flexible learning labs, and a high-tech simulation center. By 2028, the expansion will enable USF to increase undergraduate nursing enrollment by 500 students.
The project was made possible through a state investment approved in 2022, largely championed by then-Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson. “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.”
In 2023, Tampa General Hospital pledged $4.4 million to help fund the Tampa General Hospital Nursing Simulation Center within the new facility. The advanced lab will provide immersive training with 12 exam 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.”
USF graduates more nurses than any other Florida institution and is home to the state’s top-ranked Master of Science in Nursing program. The expansion is expected to strengthen USF’s partnerships with regional hospitals and improve the pipeline from education to employment.
