CCF Grant Creates ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’ Opportunity for Working Nurses to Become RNs

The need for registered nurses (RNs) in Florida continues to grow. By 2037, the state is expected to face a shortage of nearly 24,000 RNs, according to the Florida Center for Nursing. One barrier, among many, is how difficult it has become for current healthcare professionals to advance their education—and ultimately their careers—while continuing to remain employed. The Collier Community Foundation (CCF) and Lorenzo Walker Technical College (LWTC) are working to help ease that burden in Southwest Florida.

In early 2025, CCF awarded LWTC a $180,000 grant to fully cover the tuition and fees for the first cohort of students enrolled in its new Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)-to-Registered Nurse (RN) bridge program. The program enables working LPNs to become RNs without quitting their jobs or taking on student loan debt. Twenty-four students originally enrolled in the inaugural class. One student withdrew early because of personal circumstances, and the remaining 23 students graduated at the end of July.

“The Collier Community Foundation’s grant covered the full tuition and fees for our very first cohort of adult students in the newly launched Professional Nursing LPN-to-RN Program, removing the financial barrier that so often keeps working adults from pursuing advancement in healthcare,” said John Monda, Director of Lorenzo Walker Technical College. “On Thursday, July 23, 2026, all twenty-three of those students walked across the stage as graduates. That outcome is a direct reflection of what’s possible when a community invests in its workforce, and we’re deeply grateful to CCF for believing in this program from day one.”

“I knew I wanted to move forward in my career, but didn’t know if I’d be able to,” said recent graduate Marie Fabienne Auguste. “The number one reason would have been finances. The grant provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”

LPNs, who provide basic medical care, are typically required to complete only a 12- to 18-month certificate program. RNs, on the other hand, provide more advanced patient care and often supervise LPNs. Registered nurses are required to earn a bachelor’s or associate degree in nursing or complete a bridge program like the one offered by LWTC.

Auguste is currently employed at HCA Blake Hospital and has already accepted an RN position with the hospital, pending successful completion of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Like her classmates, she graduated with a nursing position already secured—a milestone that reflects both the strength of the program and the growing demand for registered nurses throughout Southwest Florida.

“The program has been an absolute blessing,” added Jenna Jackson, an LPN at The Arlington, a Naples-based retirement community. As a mother of four, Jackson said she would not have been able to afford the cost of the RN program at this point in her life.

“Having it fully covered was beyond anything I could have imagined,” she said.

Like Auguste, Jackson has already accepted a promotion with her current employer following graduation and hopes to work in a more acute setting, such as an intensive care unit (ICU), later in her career.

Nursing professor Tashoya Burgess believes the small, intimate nature of the LPN-to-RN bridge program is what sets it apart from other, more costly options. The inaugural class quickly became a close-knit community, providing encouragement, accountability and friendships that will continue well beyond graduation.

As a working mother, Auguste said she especially appreciated the flexibility and support the program provided.

“I could go to the facility and make up work and hours off schedule and never felt alone,” she said. “I felt personally cared for—and I don’t think I would have found that in any other program.”

Students attend classes and receive hands-on clinical training once each week. LWTC partners with Physicians Regional Healthcare System, NCH and The Arlington, among other healthcare providers throughout the region, to provide clinical experiences. The remainder of the coursework is completed online.

“The flexibility was an absolute game changer,” Auguste said.

By investing in working healthcare professionals, the Collier Community Foundation is helping strengthen Southwest Florida’s nursing workforce while expanding access to quality healthcare for local residents.