Galen nursing graduates to strengthen local healthcare workforce

Press release from Galen College of Nursing

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At a time when North Central Florida healthcare providers continue to face staffing challenges, 41 newly trained nurses will enter the local workforce following Galen College of Nursing’s Gainesville campus commencement ceremony on Thursday, April 16, at Westside Baptist Church.

This ceremony celebrates Galen nursing graduates ready to provide care across the Gainesville region. A significant number of these graduates will continue to support the local community by working right here in North Central Florida.

Galen Gainesville Dean Morgan Smith, MSN, RN, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the graduation event, with Vanessa Barnes, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at HCA Florida Putnam Hospital to appear as the guest speaker.

The Galen graduates represent a critical addition to the region’s healthcare pipeline, helping hospitals and care facilities meet growing patient demand driven by population growth and workforce shortages. Each new nurse trained locally increases access to care for families throughout Alachua County and beyond.

With this graduation, the Gainesville campus will have graduated more than 400 new nurses into the workforce since opening in 2022.