St. Petersburg College’s Dr. Louisana Louis was appointed to the Florida Center for Nursing Board of Directors by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month.
PINELLAS COUNTY — Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed 10 nursing leaders to the Florida Center for Nursing (FCN) Board of Directors, including Dr. Louisana Louis, the dean of the College of Nursing at St. Petersburg College (SPC).
Louis has been with the college for 16 years, starting as a nursing instructor in 2006 before being named Acting Dean in June 2018. She was made full-time dean a few short months later, in January 2019.
“It is a privilege for such an honor to be bestowed upon me. I am grateful to the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Chris Sprowls, and his office for reaching out to me to consider putting in my application for this appointment,” said Louis.
During her time as Dean, Louis has spearheaded several initiatives that have kept the SPC nursing program one of the most successful in the state and a popular program amongst students. She has helped refine the nursing curriculum, has advocated for innovative learning technology and saw the College of Nursing through the renewal of its accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education earlier this year, a task that took two years of work from nursing faculty and staff.
By far, two of Louis’s most significant achievements to date as dean have been the collaborative efforts the college has made to address Florida’s nursing shortage and the expansion of the SPC nursing program.
The COVID-19 outbreak has taken a toll on healthcare professionals, and the state is facing a projected deficit of more than 59,000 nurses by 2035. To help combat the shortage, SPC launched a new evening and weekend track for the associate degree in nursing at the beginning of the Fall 2022 term.
With more availability and flexibility within the program, Louis and her College of Nursing colleagues are hopeful that they will be able to matriculate and educate more nurses.
“As a nurse and nurse educator, I look forward to being part of the solution that will address nursing workforce issues from the perspective of the state college system,” said Louis. “The appointment is an honor for SPC and the College of Nursing.”
Louis brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and professional passion to the FCN and will no doubt leave her mark as a board member much as she has at SPC.
To learn more about the SPC College of Nursing, please visit spcollege.edu/nursing.
