News release
The Santa Clarita Community College District has been awarded $728,226 through the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Grant Program, reinforcing the college’s commitment to addressing California’s critical nursing shortage, College of the Canyons announced in a news release.
The grant will support efforts to strengthen student training, enhance student support services, and improve preparation for graduates entering the regional health care workforce, the release said.
“This funding represents a critical investment in our students and our community,” Nadia Cotti, dean of health professions and public safety at the college, said in the release. “By strengthening our nursing program, we are enhancing the quality of training for future health care professionals and helping meet the growing demand for skilled nurses across California.”
The RNI grant program aims to close health care workforce gaps by supporting program innovation, partnerships and infrastructure improvements across California community colleges.
Grant-funded activities at the college will focus on strengthening student support, enhancing clinical and skills training opportunities, expanding the use of simulation in instruction, increasing faculty resources, and improving RN-to-BSN transfer pathways to maintain instructional quality and support workforce readiness.
At COC, nursing students can begin working toward a bachelor of science in nursing degree through partnerships with several universities while completing their studies. After passing the NCLEX licensing exam, students can complete their BSN in as little as one year.
The grant will enhance student preparedness and retention through expanded counseling services, mentoring workshops, and targeted academic support, helping students navigate the rigors of lecture-based learning and clinical expectations, the release said.
Expanded counseling capacity will also strengthen RN-to-BSN transfer pathways through partnerships with seven BSN institutions, the release said. Improved advising will help students better understand transfer requirements, timelines, and options — addressing common gaps in awareness and supporting continued educational advancement.
Additionally, increased use of simulation-based training and strengthened clinical opportunities will provide students with more hands-on, real-world learning experiences, further preparing them for professional practice, according to the release
Collectively, these efforts are expected to improve associate degree nursing completion, strengthen transfer rates to BSN programs, enhance clinical training experiences, and support the region’s nursing education pipeline.
For more information about the college’s nursing program, go to www.canyons.edu/academics/nursing.
