The mission of the UF Health Jacksonville Professional Practice Department is to
provide innovative and creative educational opportunities for nursing staff which
facilitate professional and personal growth, professional competence and advance
career goals.
This mission is achieved by the following goals:
- Foster nursing research and evidenced-based practice
- Facilitate competence in nursing services by ongoing assessment, development of
programs, and evaluation of the outcomes
- Improve the quality of patient care by educating nurses in their role regarding
nurse specific quality indicators, national patient safety goals, benchmarking data,
and best practice, evidence-based guidelines
We also aim to attract and retain well-educated and compassionate nurses to our
organization. We have established a number of programs to enhance nursing at UF
Health Jacksonville. Some of these programs include:
Charge Nurse Leadership Development
UF Health Jacksonville Nursing hosts Charge Nurse Leadership Development Programs
to foster skills in the areas of supervision and delegation, communication, conflict
resolution, and team building.
Specialty Fellowships
Throughout the year, we host several fellowships allowing nurses to transition into
specialty practice areas. Some of these fellowships include:
- Critical Care Fellowship
- Emergency Department Fellowship
- Maternal Child Fellowship
- Periop 101
New Nurse Fellowship Program
UF Health Jacksonville offers a New Nurse Fellowship Program that is a 10-week
program developed to provide transition of the graduate nurse to that of a professional
nurse. Critical thinking scenarios and practice of skills practiced on most nursing
units are essential components of this program. The program provides new nurses
the ability to demonstrate the core competencies required for entry-level nurses
through practice with equipment and use of the simulation lab for critical thinking
scenarios. During the 10-week program, the new nurse will participate in classroom
learning, skill practice in the simulation and skill-teaching labs, work with a
"buddy" and preceptor on the nursing unit assigned and will spend a shift with Wound
Care and if the skill is needed, new nurses will spend a day in the ED to start IVs
lines and a day in the lab drawing blood.
Professional Recognition Program
The Nursing Professional Recognition Program rewards bedside nurses who demonstrate
behaviors that excel the professional practice of nursing.
Depending on a point system, participants are eligible for a monetary bonus.
Nursing Simulation Lab
UF Health Jacksonville has a state of the art Center for Simulation Education and Safety Research (CSESaR).
The Nursing Simulation Lab is used for our fellowship programs and ongoing skills
training. CSESaR is located in a large facility spanning approximately 24,000 square
feet, and is divided into three areas in the Pavilion building on the UF Health
Jacksonville campus.
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Main Simulation and Conference/Instruction Area
This 7,000 square-foot area occupies a former hospital emergency room. The
area is supported by an additional 800 square-foot conference and instructional
area. The center uses an impressive array of equipment to assist clinical staff
in developing and fine-tuning necessary job skills.
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Operating Room Simulation and Instruction Area
This 14,000 square-foot area contains 12 operating rooms. It is supported by an
additional 1,900 square-foot instruction area.
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Disaster Simulation Area
This area includes a previous parking lot and ambulance entrance to the former emergency
department. It is prepared to be equipped with tents, emergency mobile facilities
and other disaster preparation equipment, as the training scenarios and events may
require.
Tuition Reimbursement
Our team is here to support and encourage educational advancement for all of our nurses.
Employees who are classified as a non-probationary, full-time employee are eligible
for tuition reimbursement benefits. The degree program, certification, or course
work must clearly provide benefit to UF Health Jacksonville as well as the employee.