Special to The Laker/Lutz News

ST. LEO – They are the first. They made it through their general classes, passed CPR and additional tests and achieved the minimum 3.3 GPA to become nursing students their junior year. Then they studied, worked in health care, learned to draw blood and give injections, practiced their skills, and studied some more. Now, they will be Saint Leo University’s first graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program.

Twelve students make up the first cohort to graduate from the university’s nursing program. 

“They didn’t simply meet the expectations of our program. They helped shape them,” faculty member Paige Porter said. “Their legacy sets the standard for those who will follow in their footsteps.”

Program’s beginnings

Not only did the university recognize the need for nurses when it launched the bachelor’s degree in 2021, but so did the Florida Legislature, Gov. Ron DeSantis, area health care and government leaders, and several donors. 

They provided additional funds to build the program and create learning spaces for the future health professionals. In February 2025, Saint Leo held the grand opening for its new nursing space on the second floor of Benedictine Hall. The space includes two conference rooms, two classrooms, five offices, three simulation rooms, an assessment room, a simulation control room, a nursing lab, a lounge and study spaces.

“Our simulations were very well thought out and creative, using the most up-to-date technology, allowing us to experience certain health situations such as delivering babies and providing wound care,” said senior Laynee Marsee, of the opportunities provided by the new simulation rooms and equipment.

Self-Care equals better patient care

Four themes are embedded in Saint Leo’s nursing courses: evidence-based practice, interprofessional communication, culture of health and clinician well-being. Saint Leo’s nursing students not only are learning how to take care of others, but they’re also learning to take care of themselves.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, “we saw many nurses leave the profession,” said Kathleen Van Eerden, dean of the College of Health Professions. “We saw how important it was for nurses to be resilient and to manage stress.”

She said it was important for Saint Leo’s program to help students build the skills they need to be happy in their choice so that they have a long career in nursing.

“Understanding that nursing has a high probability of burnout and compassion fatigue can help me be more aware of work-life balance and taking breaks when I need them,” said soon-to-be nursing graduate Nathanael Allen.

Senior Mekhai Dinnard said the program’s focus on clinician well-being made a difference in how she handles stress. Dinnard balanced her studies with working two to three jobs – as a nurse extern at Moffitt Cancer Center and as a registered behavior technician working with children on the autism spectrum. 

“Nursing school is hard and being a new graduate nurse will be extremely hard as well, especially in the beginning,” Dinnard said. “It’s important that I prioritize my mental health in order to give the best care possible to my patients.”

Unique approach to nursing education

During spring semester 2024, the nursing program’s then-juniors embarked on new journey in clinical education and gained one-on-one training with nurse preceptors (mentors) at AdventHealth Zephyrhills. 

Thanks to a partnership between the university and AdventHealth, an innovative Dedicated Education Unit was created to train future nurses and possible employees. 

In the typical clinical model, a nursing instructor in the hospital mentors eight nursing students, and each student initially is assigned to one patient. But with the DEU model, because the student is paired with their mentor, the student actually works alongside that nurse, who usually is assigned a caseload of patients. 

Saint Leo students worked side-by-side for 12-hour shifts with their mentors and university nursing instructor Porter.

In 2025, the DEU program expanded to include AdventHealth Dade City.

Ava Valenti’s favorite part of the nursing program was the clinicals. 

“Especially the DEU where I got to apply everything I learned in real time with a single preceptor,” she said. “The hands-on experience made the lectures come to life and helped me build confidence in my skills.”

As students worked in various units at AdventHealth Zephyrhills and Dade City, they gained insight to different types of nursing.

“My most important moments were spent in their [AdventHealth] ICU where I was able to know with confidence that I wanted to pursue that type of nursing,” Martina Encomienda said. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to rotate through Critical Care with them.”

Learning about all the opportunities available in the future was key for nursing student Alexis Musser. 

“I look forward to all of the opportunities to come,” she said. “I feel a sense of security knowing that there are so many different jobs and specialties within the field of nursing. There is never a ‘dead-end.’”

The next chapter

As Saint Leo’s nursing students prepare to graduate on May 7 and enter various health care fields, they’re proud to be the first cohort. 

“This program taught me that I am far more capable than I ever thought I could be,” said Emily Edwards. “I have learned and experienced more than I thought I would in the short time I have been in the program. It has given me the strength I needed to not only pursue this career, but also find a passion for it.”

The seniors will take part in a pinning ceremony May 5 at the Student Community Center. They will receive a pin representing their graduation from Saint Leo University’s nursing program.

Nursing pinning ceremonies are rooted in history. The ceremony has ties to Florence Nightingale, known as a founder of modern nursing. For her work during the Crimean War, she received the Red Cross of St. George in the 1860s. Saint Leo’s nursing graduates proudly will wear their pins, indicating they have the skills and compassion to join the field.

Some of the students have accepted positions or have offers locally at AdventHealth, Lakeland Regional Health, Tampa General Hospital, Moffit Cancer Center and BayCare health care facilities.

“They are ready – more than ready – to take their place in the world as nurses,” Porter said. “And I’m truly honored to have been part of their story.”

LUTZ – St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz is building an eight-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit scheduled to open in summer 2025.

The NICU will provide specialized 24/7 care for babies born prematurely, underweight or with special health needs and requirements such as IVs, respiratory therapy or other therapies. 

The Level II NICU will be staffed by neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners and neonatal nurses. The NICU will supplement St. Joseph’s Hospital-North’s existing labor and delivery and Mom and Baby maternity services.

Construction started in January on the $2 million, 5,431-square-foot NICU.

An innovative feature of the NICU will be two “couplet care” rooms where mothers and babies are cared for together. Normally, mothers and babies are separated when babies need to go to the NICU. The two couplet care rooms each measure 525 square feet.

“St. Joseph’s Hospital-North will be the first in the Tampa Bay area to have couplet rooms, and to the best of my knowledge, the first in the state of Florida,” said Charles Ennis, a BayCare patient services director overseeing several of the health system’s NICUs.

Ennis said staffing and building logistics are reasons why NICU couplet rooms are not common.

The other NICU rooms are private for one baby. The private NICU rooms, measuring 280 square feet each, include sleeping accommodations, a bathroom and shower for a parent or another loved one to stay overnight with the baby.

“We’ve seen nationally that birth rates are going down but the needs for NICU beds is increasing,” said Sara Dodds, St. Joseph’s Hospital-North president. “We know that some of that is due to women having babies later in life and women also dealing with more medical issues. We are giving local moms an option to deliver close to home with the availability of a NICU.”

Ennis said this NICU will help eliminate the need for families to travel to Tampa. Babies in need of a higher level of NICU care can always be stabilized and transported to St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital Level IV NICU.

St. Joseph’s Hospital-North’s NICU location is adjacent to the hospital’s Mom and Baby unit and is converted from a space that formerly housed adult medical and surgical patient rooms. 

TAMPA – Words no parent ever wants to hear: “Your child has cancer.” It’s a life-changing moment, and one that too many families face every year as pediatric cancers remain the leading cause of death from disease in children between the ages of 1 and 14 years.

For Christen Gray, that moment came when her 5-year-old son, Finn, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Ewing’s Sarcoma. What followed was a long and courageous battle – one that ultimately took Finn’s life, but also gave rise to a movement of hope, advocacy and support for other families navigating the terrifying waters of pediatric cancer.

From their family’s pain, Finn’s Fighters was born. The nonprofit founded by Christen has grown into a powerful force for good. Working in partnership with St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation, Finn’s Fighters is on a mission to improve the experience of pediatric cancer patients and their families at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.

“Nothing in our world stops for pediatric cancer,” Christen said. “But we’ve made it our mission to fight for the families still in the thick of it, just like Finn would have.”

This year marks five years since Finn’s passing – the same age he was when he was diagnosed – and the impact of his life continues to ripple through the Tampa Bay community and beyond.

A journey of love, loss and legacy

Finn was your typical 5-year-old boy. He loved music, dancing, roughhousing with his 6-year-old brother, Declan, and all things Lego. When he first complained of back pain, no one could have imagined it was cancer. But as the days passed, it didn’t get better.

On the first day of kindergarten, Finn could barely sit in a car seat without wincing in pain. Later that week, his school called to say he was not feeling well and was shaky on his feet. The next day, Finn could barely walk, and an MRI showed a tumor on his spine.

“By the grace of God and the talent of his neurosurgeon and team at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, he was able to regain movement after surgery,” Christen said. “We were given a diagnosis of Ewings Sarcoma. The surgery was four hours; waiting for diagnosis another 10. We suddenly were facing the worst fear any parent has: the mortality of their child.”

Over the next year, Finn’s journey included numerous surgeries, procedures, chemotherapy infusions, blood transfusions, platelet transfusions and hospital stays. 

By May, he was finally able to ring the bell that signified the end of his treatment. That summer, the family enjoyed beach trips and a trip to Disney World. They were finally able to be together again.  

But in August, during his second week of first grade, Finn’s first three-month follow-up MRI showed a new mass in a new location on his spine, meaning Finn had relapsed. The cancer was back. Despite the devastating news, the family remained hopeful thanks to the support of Finn’s care team at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.

“We could not be more grateful for the amazing team at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital,” Christen said. “The care they showed Finn and our family was unbelievable. At times, we felt like the only patient in the hospital. The talent of the teams and the oncology department is top-notch. I don’t know what we would have done without them.”

Sadly, despite multiple treatments, Finn passed away peacefully in January 2020, surrounded by family and his beloved stuffed dog, Barkey. But for Christen, that wasn’t the end of their journey.

Building a legacy of support

In the quiet solitude of those long days and nights spent at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, Christen still found the strength to consider how she could help others experiencing the same nightmare.

“I spent so much time in the hospital where Finn just slept, and my mind just raced with so many thoughts,” Christen said. “I felt compelled to find a way to help increase awareness of pediatric cancers and support kids like my son and families like ours. We were so blessed for the support we received from St. Joe’s and our community. Finding a way to pay it forward just seemed like the right thing to do.”

So, in 2019, Christen started Finn’s Fighters. And today, the organization remains committed to increasing awareness of pediatric cancer and supporting families facing medical crisis in the Tampa Bay area.

Prioritizing mental health

During their time at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, Christen recognized a need for dedicated mental health support, especially in the emotionally overwhelming moments following a child’s cancer diagnosis.

So, three years ago, Finn’s Fighters and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation teamed up to fund a new position to support the hospital’s pediatric cancer patients and their families. Thanks to Finn’s Fighters underwriting the program’s first year, a specially trained integrated mental health counselor is now available to all families, not only at the time of diagnosis, but throughout their cancer journey, acting as a conduit to help set up therapy services tailored to meet their needs.

“Nothing will ever make hearing the words ‘your child has cancer’ better, but having someone there with you when you hear them, and having a dedicated resource available to assist these families as they navigate such a roller coaster of emotions, will make a real difference,” Christen said. “I know the heartbreak of this journey, but I also know how much a resource like this will help, and I am so grateful to St. Joe’s for working with me to make it possible.”

Now that the new integrated mental health counselor is in place at the hospital, Finn’s Fighters is focused on continuing their mental health support. They are currently working on making sure families are getting psychological testing so they can receive the support they need.

In addition to their support of mental health services, Finn’s Fighters has expanded its reach at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital by providing families with small comforts that make a big difference.

Finn’s Fighters recently partnered with Tampa Laundry Company to provide laundry service to pediatric patients and families who need to spend more than two days in the hospital. The organization also provides meal deliveries twice a week for inpatient families, including pizza on Friday nights, and ‘hope cups’ filled with gift cards for newly diagnosed families – a small but heartfelt gesture that reminds families they are not alone.

“Finn’s Fighters is proud to support the hematology/oncology department at St. Joseph’s with weekly meal deliveries, gift card assistance, emergency bill pay and more,” Christen said. “Our goal is to help families feel cared for and supported in all the little ways, so they can focus on what matters most – their child.”

Outside of the hospital, Christen also continues to advocate nationally on behalf of families like hers, taking Finn’s Fighters to Washington, D.C. multiple times a year.

While nothing can undo the heartbreak of losing Finn, Christen says she and her family continue to ask: “What would Finn do?”

“And the answer is always the same,” she said. “He would fight with love and kindness. And that’s what we want to keep doing – fighting for families, just like Finn would have. We are so thankful to have a partner in St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation to continue that fight alongside us.”

Want to help?

Finn’s Fighters will host its biggest fundraising event of the year, the Dream Big Gala, on April 25 at the Shanna and Bryan Glazer Jewish Community Center. This annual event fuels Finn’s Fighters’ mission to provide hope and vital support to families facing pediatric cancer. Visit finnsfighters.org/events/gala to learn more.