Keiser University Vice Chancellor Robert Keiser, Ph.D., M.B.A., is among ten new appointees named to the Florida Center for Nursing’s Board of Directors.

The Florida Center for Nursing was created in 2001 by the Florida Legislature to address issues of supply and demand for nursing, including issues of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse workforce resources. A primary goal of the Center is to provide ongoing strategies for the allocation of the state’s resources directed towards nursing.

“I am honored and humbled to be chosen as a member of the Florida Center for Nursing’s Board of Directors,” said Keiser. “I am confident that in tandem with my exceptionally qualified colleagues, the Board will deliver on its legislative mandates to develop an effective statewide plan to bolster the nursing workforce and enhance and promote recognition, reward, and renewal activities for existing nurses.”

Keiser joined Keiser University in January 2021 as the Vice Chancellor of the Graduate School. In this role, he manages graduate school operations at 21 Keiser University campuses throughout Florida and two international locations. He previously served as the Executive Director of Southeastern College, responsible for management of the school’s five campuses in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Under his leadership, Keiser University’s Graduate School has expanded its degree offerings to address workforce shortages in many of Florida’s critical and emerging industries, including nursing.

Under Keiser’s guidance, Keiser University announced in May a new Master of Science (MSN) degree meant to address Florida’s nursing shortage in women’s health. The new program is the only women’s health master’s program offered in Florida and comes at a critical time as the state is facing a shortfall of nearly 60,000 nurses by 2035 according to Florida Hospital Association.

“Due to the effects of COVID-19 and Florida’s rapidly-growing population, it is more critical now than ever to expand pathways to careers in nursing and develop initiatives that support and retain the nurses that currently keep Floridians healthy.”

Keiser University hopes to address Florida’s nursing shortage through the recent formation of a nursing advisory council in cooperation with the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. The advisory council is made up of government officials, educational leaders, and health care industry experts who will collaborate to help address Florida’s nursing shortage.

Keiser University is a private, independent, non-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students at 21 Florida campuses, online, and two international sites. Founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and the Keiser Family, Keiser University currently offers more than 100 degrees from associates to the doctoral level. Keiser University is a  designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and was ranked No. 5 in the U.S. in Social Mobility by U.S. News And World Report in 2022.