Research and Education to Rehabilitate and Restore the Lives of Veterans, Service members and their Families directly impacts the lives of veterans and service members. Re-integration of veterans is at a highpoint in U.S history. The pace of deployments in terms of length, frequency and limited downtime is unprecedented, and many brave volunteers are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, loss of limb and other physical and emotional injuries that in the past would have proved fatal or permanently disabling.

Additionally, a majority of veterans and their families receive healthcare in the private sector, instead of VA hospitals, meaning all healthcare professionals must be proficient in dealing with the special needs of this population.

RESTORE LIVES at USF continues to develop life enhancing treatments through nursing research, and educate nurses with the knowledge and skills specific to the needs of treating veterans and service members with innovative solutions such as:

• Conduct research specific to veteran and military health issues
• Train nursing leaders within military
• Educate nurses at all levels in the special needs of the military, veterans and their families

Through POWER with Nursing, our Partnership Opportunities for Wellness, Education and Research, the College of Nursing’s initiatives with existing and expanding collaborations stretch across the region, nation and globe. Every day our students impact healthcare in Tampa Bay. Through Research Residencies, College of Nursing doctoral students collaborate with area hospitals to develop their own program of nursing research. We collaborate on grants with researchers from other healthcare disciplines.

At USF our nursing students learn the way they will practice, in interprofessional teams composed of many healthcare disciplines. Our students get first-hand knowledge of wellness issues across the globe through international nursing experiences in Panama, and collaboration with the American Red Cross to bring supplies to people in need.

POWER with Nursing provides opportunities to collaborate with the USF College of Nursing on important initiatives such as:

• Expand the research residencies program
• Provide increased opportunities for interprofessional education
• Expand USF Global nursing programs

Through our Institute for Nursing Faculty Recruitment, Retention and Mentoring or INFORM at USF Nursing, the College will continue to recruit, retain and mentor the best and brightest nursing faculty.

USF nursing faculty transform nursing science to better care for patients through education and research. Conservatively, one USF nursing faculty member causes 108 million patients to receive excellent nursing care because of the students they taught! The need for new nursing faculty is now at an all-time high and expected to increase over the next decade.

INFORM at USF Nursing this address this need in the following ways:

• Increase USF pre and post- doctoral fellowships in nursing
• Provide the pilot funds needed for nursing doctoral Dissertations/Projects
• Structure a new mentoring program for USF nursing faculty

Our Center for Living with Chronic Illness focuses on the impressive research expertise of our world-class, nursing scientists, faculty and students. Chronic illness nationally has reached epidemic proportions with nearly one half of all Americans suffering some type of chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia, or cancer.

The effects of chronic illness are known to be physical, social and behavioral in nature, and families and caregivers are impacted as they help loved ones cope day-to-day. The Center for Living with Chronic Illness is focused on new ways to help those with chronic illness and their families manage illness, overcome challenges, and live life more fully.

The Center for Living with Chronic Illness at the USF College of Nursing will be able to:

• Continue to conduct life-changing nursing research
• Strengthen educational programs, preparing USF graduates to deal with chronic illness in practice
• Build greater collaborations at home and across the globe to reach chronically ill populations