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Innovative Programs Make Cal State Fullerton A Leader in the Race to Cure What Ails Health Care

Florence Nightingale made history in the 19th century by single-handedly transforming nursing from a lowly occupation to a noble profession.

How disappointed the founder of modern nursing would be if she were alive today. She would be reading headlines like: “Hospital Nursing Shortage Reaches Critical Stage,” “A Crisis in Nursing Threatens Patients,” and “Care Is Compromised by State's Nurse Shortage.”

But, being an activist and an educator, she would no doubt take on the challenge of building the ranks of the nation's nursing corps—and seek colleagues who share her commitment to strengthening the profession through innovative education.

She would find them in Cal State Fullerton's Department of Nursing, which offers the only campus-based baccalaureate nursing program in Orange County. The department has earned a reputation for innovation as it has become a leader in using technology to develop distance education programs and forming educational partnerships with health-care providers and other learning institutions.

Under the leadership of Christine L. Latham, professor of nursing and chair of the department since 1998, the total number of nursing students has jumped from 35 to 353 in just four years. Students come from throughout California, as well as other states, and each graduate represents a step toward solving a nursing shortage that–as the headlines say—has reached crisis proportions.

The American Hospital Association estimates that 126,000 nurses are needed to fill vacancies at U.S. hospitals, and the nation is expected to face a shortage of more than 400,000 registered nurses by 2020. Yet, according to Latham, there also is a shortage of the educational programs and resources essential to meeting the critical need for qualified nurses.

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Taking a bite out of the nursing crisis Raymond Hussain scuttled his plan to attend medical school to provide the hands-on patient care he wanted to give.