AdventHealth Tampa Launches Dedicated Nursing Education Units

AdventHealth Tampa partnered with AdventHealth University (AHU) to launch Dedicated Education Units (DEUs), a new model designed to strengthen nursing education and meet the region's growing demand for skilled nurses. These units transform hospital areas into hands-on learning environments where nursing students gain experience alongside experienced healthcare professionals.

Unlike traditional clinical rotations, DEUs pair nursing students directly with trained staff nurses who serve as preceptors. This structured approach aims to build students' clinical confidence, critical decision-making abilities, and practical skills in a hospital setting. Students from AHU's Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs participate, alongside dedicated AdventHealth registered nurses and university and hospital clinical faculty.

The DEU model is rolling out across several AdventHealth facilities in the West Florida Division, including locations in Carrollwood, Wesley Chapel, Riverview, Dade City, and Zephyrhills, with AdventHealth Tampa acting as a central hub. Future plans include expanding these units to specialized fields like emergency medicine, critical care, and pediatrics.

Graduates from the DEU program will transition into AdventHealth's Nurse Residency Program, a year-long paid orientation intended to improve retention and ease the onboarding process for new graduates. This initiative aims to create a stronger pipeline of qualified nurses for the Tampa Bay area.

Florida faces a continuous demand for healthcare professionals due to population growth and an aging demographic. AdventHealth's DEUs address this by training and retaining skilled clinicians locally, ensuring residents have access to quality care.