USF Nursing Faculty Speaks at Graduation for Air Force Nurses at Tampa General Hospital

On October 5, 2012, 24 men and women graduated from the Air Force Nurse Transition Program at Tampa General Hospital (TGH). This represents the largest class to graduate from the nine-week intensive course. Lt. Colonel Alicia Gill Rossiter, MSN, ARNP, FNP, PNP-BC, Coordinator, Graduate Simulation, and Nursing Military Liaison at the University of South Florida College of Nursing was one of the speakers at the event, according to an article from Tampa Fox 13.

Lt. Colonel Alicia Gill Rossiter (left)

As a faculty member at the USF College of Nursing, Lt. Colonel Rossiter helps coordinate and teach a day long intensive simulation experience for the TGH/Air Force Nurse Transition Program at the USF College of Nursing Virtual Simulation Center of Excellence and Clinical Education.

“To us, there is no greater honor, than assisting in the future training of Air Force nurses, who will care for those serving in harm’s way,” said Lt. Colonel Alicia Gill Rossiter. “Within 12 hours, we can set-up a fully-functioning hospital anywhere in the world. We save lives every day, often in remote areas of the world, with minimal resources, under the most extreme conditions.”

Two of the officers graduating at TGH,  Lt. Dawn Morales and Lt. Nathan Sprague, are USF Nursing alumni who graduated with their Bachelor of Science Degrees in May 2012.

Lieutenant Dawn Morales got a sweet graduation note from her son Deigo before she got her diploma. It had a heart and two words written on it, ‘Go Mom!’, and she agrees!

“I’m ready, ready to go!,” said Morales enthusiastically.

The USF College of Nursing is proud to have hosted the simulation experience for the TGH/Air Force Nurse Transition Program for the  past two years. The USF Nurse Transition Simulation experiences are an example of the many projects conducted as part of the USF College of Nursing’s  RESTORE LIVES AT USF: Education and Research to Rehabilitate and Restore the Lives of Veterans, Service Members and their Families. Through RESTORE LIVES at USF,  College of Nursing faculty develop life enhancing treatments through nursing research, and educate nurses with the knowledge and skills specific to the needs of the military, veterans and their families.

To view an article about the September 2012 USF Nurse Transition Simulation Click Here

To view an article about the February 2012 USF Nurse Transition Simulation Click Here

To view the Tampa Fox 13 article and video Air Force nurses graduate from TGH originally ported October 5, 2012 Click Here