University to offer first nurse anesthetist program in NE Florida

By Rachel Witkowski
News Editor

The first nurse anesthetist program in Northeast Florida is being offered at the University of North Florida beginning in the fall — a program that includes a six-figure salary for starters.

The program is a collaboration between UNF and three hospitals in Jacksonville. The school of nursing will offer it as a clinical specialty track for graduate nursing students who would like to be a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, or CRNAs.

According to www.salary.com, the median personal salary for CRNAs in Jacksonville is $125,911, but program coordinators said the job is well-deserving of the pay.

University urges city to realign segment of Kernan

By Margie Hinson
Contributing Writer

The University of North Florida is urging Jacksonville city planners to realign the segment of South Kernan Boulevard adjacent to campus, according to Shari Shuman, vice president of administration and finance.

A design is currently underway for South Kernan Boulevard to be transformed into a six-lane and four-lane divided road from Glen Kernan Parkway to McCormick Road, according to the Better Jacksonville Plan. But plans to continue to J. Turner Butler Boulevard have not been completed.

“The last leg to JTB is going to go from six-lane down to four-lane, which really doesn’t make sense,” Shuman said.

But UNF suggests city planners redirect Kernan along the existing path of First Coast Technical Parkway and widen it to six lanes.