Time and again, we see that nurses are at the forefront of our global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is doubtful that there is anyone who doesn’t realize the essential nature of the nursing profession by now. CSUN has been educating nurses since the 1990s, and, since 2006-07, through an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (A-BSN) program. The intensive program leaves no time for work beyond the pursuit of the degree. And so the Department of Nursing is pleased to announce the establishment of the Jeanne C. Mayer Endowed Scholarship fund in Nursing.
Also known as the Mayer Endowed Scholarship Fund in Nursing, funding allows the scholarship to be awarded each year to one more students in the A-BSN program, in perpetuity. Funding will offset the need for CSUN students to rely on financial aid or student loans.
The A-BSN program provides a path to the nursing profession for people who have earned bachelor’s degrees in any discipline and who have completed the necessary prerequisites for nursing study. The program lasts just four semesters and encompasses rigorous coursework plus opportunities for hands-on experiential learning and mentoring in patient care settings throughout the Los Angeles area in hospitals and other clinical facilities. These mentoring faculty are experienced nurses who are also faculty in the CSUN department of Nursing. Many of the facilities served by these students go on to employ these students after they graduate.
California’s population growth, aging population and needs for proper nursing-to-patient ratios have contributed to the state’s nursing shortage and hospitals’ increased need for registered nurses. According to the us health resources services administration, if California does not increase training of new nurses and retention of more senior nurses, it will face a shortage of up to 45,000 nurses by 2030. This scholarship will help CSUN address this critical issue.
About Jeanne C. Mayer: Mayer was a lifelong learner whose legacy lives on through the hard work of dedicated nursing students and through the unparalleled care those nurses will provide to their patients. She was a cherished wife and partner, devoted mother, beloved grandmother and dear friend to many. She was known for her genuine warmth and deep kindness, her keen intelligence and insatiable curiosity, her fabulous style and exceptional hospitality. One of Jeanne's greatest joys was to recount with pride her memories of her time as a Registered Nurse. We look forward to your getting to know more about her in a future story.
F 2020
Jean O'Sullivan/HHD
Photo credit: Julianne Humason and Nathalie De La Peña, (also pictured).