BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Nursing school is difficult enough, so why not try to limit the hardships outside of the classroom?
A partnership between the Bradford County School District and Santa Fe College will result in North Florida Technical College being utilized for a Santa Fe Associate in Science in Nursing Bridge program. The program, which will begin this fall semester, will offer convenience for local licensed practical nurses to become registered nurses.
A $4 million grant offered through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunities is being used to remodel the NFTC health-sciences building.
Bradford County Superintendent of Schools Will Hartley and Santa Fe College Provost and Vice President Academic Affairs Nate Southerland participated in a signing ceremony to formalize the partnership.
Tracy Ison, who’s the chair of nursing programs at Santa Fe, spoke at a celebration of the Bradford County School District-Santa Fe partnership on Jan. 29 at North Florida Technical College. She said nursing school provides enough challenges without Bradford students having to worry about transportation, childcare and time away from a job to attend classes at Santa Fe’s Gainesville campus.
“This is the answer to that,” Ison said. “Keeping the school here in your community is solving those extra challenges.
Hartley shared an exchange he had with a Bradford High School valedictorian who’s wanting to become a registered nurse. He said her face displayed “a huge smile” when he told her of the Santa Fe program that would be available in
“That is exactly what this project is about,” Hartley said. “It’s about furthering the opportunities for the people here in Bradford County and our community and surrounding areas.”
Ison said offering such a program in Starke and at North Florida Technical College “makes sense” because of NFTC’s existing practical-nursing program, which she described as “excellent.”
Lisa Prevatt, a former administrator in the Bradford County School District and a Santa Fe College trustee emeritus, said, “We already have an amazing nursing program here at North Florida Technical College, but to be able to expand it and just offer more for our students and our community is so wonderful.”
Hartley said the nursing program is part of “very exciting times” for Bradford County, adding that since he became superintendent six years ago, he’s met several times with Southerland and Santa Fe President Paul Broadie “about deepening the collaboration between Bradford County School District and Santa Fe for projects like this.”
“I really, truly do believe this is going to be the first of many (projects),” Hartley said. “A lot of you know we have a new school coming, hopefully in the next three to four years. Along with that project, I hope it just deepens some of the opportunities with us and Santa Fe to move forward and collaborate and really expand the opportunities, not just for our students, but for our community as a whole.”
Southerland echoed Hartley’s sentiment.
“We really look forward to not just this, but other collaborations between the school district, North Florida Technical College and Santa Fe College,” Southerland said. “We’re obviously here to stay. We love being in Bradford County. We love being Starke and the surrounding areas.
“We really want to do what we can to complement what the school district and the tech college are doing to provide opportunities for students in this area.”
Prevatt gave kudos to those from the Bradford School District and Santa Fe for their efforts in writing the proposal that led to the $4 million grant, which was awarded through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunities. She also recognized John Miller — owner/publisher of the Bradford County Telegraph, Union County Times and Lake Region Monitor — for pushing to have a Santa Fe nursing program in Bradford County.
“Mr. Miller was one of those who inspired us to do that,” Prevatt said. “He’s seen the needs in the medical field and in our community, so I’m thankful to him, too, because he kind of got that in my heart originally.”
Southerland took the time to talk about Miller as well, saying, “He has been a huge supporter of Santa Fe College and has donated a tremendous amount of time and resources and facilities for us to do our work here. We’re tremendously grateful. We couldn’t do what we do without him.”
The ASN Bridge Program is 14 months, providing education in classroom, laboratory and clinical settings and preparing students to be employed in a high-demand field. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for registered nurses in 2024 was $93,600 per year ($45 per hour). The number of RN jobs in 2024 was 3,391,000, with an anticipated 5-percent increase in jobs over a 10-year span.
“Quality education equals quality careers,” Prevatt said. “Here we are to launch more bright futures for our students.”
“Quality education equals quality careers,” Prevatt said. “Here we are to launch more bright futures for our students.”
To learn more about the ASN Bridge Program, visit www.sfcollege.edu/academics/programs and click on the appropriate link. You may also scan the accompanying QR code.
