FAMU's School of Nursing celebrated a milestone this month as it graduated its largest class in recent history: 26 new Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) practitioners, trained in specialties critical to the state’s most pressing health care needs.
Thirteen of the graduates specialized as Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners, while another 13 completed their studies as Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioners. Their arrival into the medical workforce comes as Florida confronts one of the most severe projected shortages of primary care providers in the nation.
A July report from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration warned that the state could face a deficit of nearly 18,000 physicians by 2035, with supply expected to meet only 77% of demand. The shortfall is particularly acute in primary care, including geriatric and women’s health—gaps that nurse practitioners are increasingly being called upon to fill.
“These projections illuminate the essential role advanced practice nurses will play in maintaining access to care,” said Shannon Smith, PhD, dean of the School of Nursing. “FAMU’s MSN graduates are prepared to meet critical workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities where gaps in primary care and maternal health contribute to preventable complications and adverse outcomes for mothers and infants.”
The university’s nursing program, founded in 1904, has long been a cornerstone of health education in Florida. It became the state’s first baccalaureate nursing program in 1936 and has since grown into one of its most respected, known for emphasizing service in communities where need is greatest.
The School of Nursing began expanding its Masters of Nursing degree programs in 2022 to continue to expand its academic pathways into advanced practice roles, aligning with FAMU’s broader mission to advance research, graduate education, and community impact. Many students train in clinical settings from the Panhandle to the Glades, often in regions designated as health professional shortage areas.
Graduates from the program will go on to work in a range of settings—including hospitals, women’s health clinics, community health centers, and private practices—across Florida and the country.
For states like Florida, where an aging population and geographic disparities in care amplify the provider shortage, growing the pipeline of advanced practice nurses isn’t just an educational goal—it’s a public health imperative.
“This isn’t just a graduation,” said recent graduate Aaron Wallace, who will begin work at a geriatric clinic in North Florida. “It’s a deployment.”