WesternU College of Graduate Nursing receives state funding to increase diversity, outreach to the underserved

Western University of Health Sciences College of Graduate Nursing has received $240,000 from the 2017-19 California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development Song-Brown Healthcare Workforce Training Program for Registered Nursing.

The primary purpose of the Song-Brown grant is to increase the number of nursing students receiving high-quality education and training in areas of unmet needs in California. Song-Brown awards funds to institutions with a demonstrated record of having graduates working in medically underserved areas, establishing community and clinical partnerships in underserved areas and increasing the diversity of the student body.

“CGN has a proven track record of providing our students experiences to improve health and advocate for the vulnerable populations in areas where health resources are scarce, said CGN Assistant Dean for Global Health and Innovations Ivy Tuason, PhD, FNP-BC, who is the Principal Investigator for this grant. “In California, 50 out of 58 counties are at least partially designated as medically underserved and 26 out of 58 counties are considered Registered Nurse Shortage Areas. This grant helps to relieve nurse shortages in underserved areas by providing them meaningful clinical activities that attract graduates to work there.”

The grant was designed to:

• Establish a community outreach coordinator position to strategize and expand MSNE students’ experiences in medically underserved areas.
• Support MSNE students’ outreach efforts with underserved populations.
• Increase the number of community and clinical partnerships for student rotations in medically underserved areas.
• Increase awareness of the health needs of vulnerable populations the roles nurses play in meeting these needs.
• Increase recruitment efforts among underrepresented groups.

“With this grant, we can expand our access to underserved populations as well as attract prospective students in rural and inner cities,” Tuason said. “Through strategic community and clinical partnerships and collaborations, our clinical partners may be successful in recruiting our graduates while students are given richer experiences to encourage future practice in these areas.”

“We are committed to meeting the complex nursing needs of California and dedicated to providing our students high-quality education to lead quality and safety health care for our communities,” said CGN Dean Mary Lopez, PhD, RN.