Trailblazer Spotlight: Kaleigh Irish, fellow

“Never stop learning.”

Kaleigh Irish is a rotating fellow at USF Health, Tampa General Hospital and Moffitt Cancer Center, studying otolaryngology and head and neck surgery.

The College of Nursing assists with providing accreditation to our clinical partners for Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Fellowships. The USF APP Office develops and evaluates fellowship programs. Each fellowship is created to ensure new nurse practitioners and physician assistants have the necessary training and education to successfully transition from academic to clinical practice.

Community partners work with the College of Nursing to align each program with American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) requirements. In addition to preparing the fellows, the goal is strengthen the nursing workforce and improve patient care.

Irish received her Bachelor’s in Nursing Science degree from Daemon College in Buffalo, New York. Then she became a Bull, achieving her Master’s of Science from the University of South Florida. Now, her goal is to work in the otolaryngology field.

“This fellowship is giving me invaluable experience working with the different sub-specialties within the operating room, inpatient and outpatient basis,” said Irish.

Her advice to students is to never stop learning.

“Take every opportunity to see something and learn something new and always ask questions.”

Story by Cassidy Delamarter