The first time Valerie (Oreana ’98) Massie experienced the rush of life in an emergency room, she knew she had found her calling. As a freshman at Pasadena City College, Massie considered a career as a physical therapist, but an internship at a hospital opened her eyes to nursing as a career choice, leading her to transfer to Azusa Pacific University.
“APU’s School of Nursing offered me a great program,” said Massie. “This challenging program prepared me for life as a professional nurse.” Thirteen years after enrolling at APU, Massie enters her 10th year as a registered nurse (RN) at UCLA Medical Center.
Though Massie’s story may seem typical, public health officials warn that it is not typical enough. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a nursing shortfall sweeps across the U.S., one expected to worsen in the coming years. Even more alarming, according to a 2007 study by the California Healthcare Association (CHA), California ranks 49th in the nation with regard to the number of registered nurses per capita, with 585 registered nurses per 100,000 population. “This real shortage is projected to continue until 2020,” said Aja Tulleners Lesh, Ph.D., RN, dean of the School of Nursing. “It is particularly acute in California.”
APU’s School of Nursing is confronting this looming crisis by undertaking multiple initiatives. The Early Entry into Nursing and Advanced Practice (EENAP) Program provides graduate-level nursing education for anyone who has a bachelor’s or advanced degree in other disciplines. It recently benefited from a $500,000 grant to APU from Kaiser Permanente to support students enrolled in APU’s San Diego Regional Center nursing program.
