Song-Brown: Sustaining Diversity in Nursing Education

To better serve the needs of Southern California and especially the RNSA in which we are located, the Nursing Program at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) has expanded efforts to recruit, enroll, and promote the academic and professional success of culturally and socioeconomically diverse students who come to our program from different pathways. To support this growth and successful student outcomes, we need to ensure that we have the necessary resources and infrastructure in place. For example, with many pathways to enter our program (RN to BSN, ADN-BSN collaborative, and BA/BS to BSN), many new students are entering with levels of cultural, socioeconomic, and/or academic diversity that require closer mentoring and monitoring to keep these students on track. Additionally, as the program grows in complexity, there is a need for additional planning to ensure well-defined connections and shared roles among program partners. This proposal requests funding to help the CSUN Nursing Program strengthen student support and program management efforts. Resources and initiatives to be funded include a Program Coordinator; Advisory Board development; additional advisement services; peer mentoring resources; and equipment to enhance student preparation. California State University, Northridge, a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American Native American-Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. With a fall 2014 enrollment of 40,131 students, 45.3% of which are traditionally underserved minorities, CSUN is among the largest and most diverse single campuses in the U.S. It is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, which has a 47% Latino population. CSUN ranks seventh in the nation in awarding bachelor's degrees to Hispanic students. Within this university and community context, CSUN's Nursing Program is uniquely positioned to prepare nurses to meet the healthcare needs of our diverse Southern California community. The dynamic history of CSUN's Nursing Program has demonstrated ongoing growth, including two pathways to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Over the past five years, the Nursing Program has increased enrollment; increased the number and diversity of qualified faculty and staff; improved the quality and use of assessment; ensured learning-centered, competency based curriculum; enhanced the number and quality of clinical sites; promoted faculty scholarship; and increased physical resources, including simulation/skills lab resources. The program's success has been built on the dedication and commitment of our faculty, staff, and community partners who share our vision for preparing culturally reflective and responsive professional nurses of the highest caliber, dedicated to promoting the health of the diverse communities we serve.