Partnership Brings Doctoral Nursing Education to Manatee County

"All of us need to go to the next level," said Christine Malloy, Chief Nursing Officer at Manatee Memorial, "including myself. I am convinced that studying toward these advanced degrees, especially with emphasis on leadership, will not only make us better nurses but also clearly improve patient outcomes. That is our goal. Our nurses are excited to be back in school and we are so appreciative of the support and continued generosity of our hospital Foundation in providing the resources for higher education."

Amid the national debate on health care quality and access, The Florida State University is offering a new DNP degree program that aims to increase the number of advanced practice nurses and see them lead and manage health care delivery. Two doctoral "tracks" — DNP Family Nurse Practitioner and DNP Health Systems Leadership — are designed for nurses with Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursing degrees.

"By bringing our courses to Bradenton, more nurses will be able to access graduate education locally. The graduates of our new doctoral program will be exceptionally qualified to help solve many of the problems we face in today's health care system and meet the changing needs of our patients and their families," said Dr. Lisa Plowfield, College Dean of Nursing at FSU.

Dr. Barbara Little of Sarasota, an RN with a master's degree in public health and a doctoral degree in nursing practice, was hired shortly before classes began to coordinate the local initiative and teach in the program. As an experienced nurse educator and recent DNP graduate, Dr. Little understands the challenges and needs of returning students.

"I enjoy counseling nurses on advancing their education and balancing work and family responsibilities. The combination of teleconferencing and online courses allows students to interact with faculty and support each other through the program," said Dr. Little.

Dr. Little is not only teaching, but also advising the nine new nursing students, all of whom have extensive experience in their current roles as clinicians, supervisors, and nurse executives in area hospitals and health care centers.

"We are fortunate to have Dr. Little, with her academic credentials and experience. She is a perfect fit," said Dr. Plowfield. "She will provide the students a direct link to our Tallahassee campus."

In addition to having Dr. Little on board as the full-time resident faculty member in Bradenton, students will be exposed to other faculty on the main campus of FSU in Tallahassee and Panama City campus via two-way video-conferencing, thanks to a collegial arrangement with The State College of Florida. The State College is allowing the FSU College of Nursing to use a classroom at its Lakewood Ranch campus, along with its video-conferencing technology.

"We are amazed how quickly the College of Nursing at FSU could make this happen," said Christine Malloy at Manatee Memorial. "We started our conversations in June and FSU put together this partnership in time for classes to begin in August."

Graduates of the FSU program will be qualified to provide primary health care as family nurse practitioners and assume leadership positions in health care. DNP prepared nurses will help improve population health, promote higher quality patient outcomes, and deliver safer patient care.

The partnership was made possible through a generous gift from the Manatee Memorial Hospital Foundation. The FSU College of Nursing also contributed to the partnership with federal stimulus dollars.

For more information, contact: Dr. Barbara Little at (850) 644-5644 or blittle@fsu.edu or Vernon DeSear, Manatee Memorial Hospital Foundation Executive Director at (941) 745-7306 or vernon.desear@mmhhs.com.