Cuesta College’s Nursing Program awarded Prestigious Grant boosting efforts to Address Shortages

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - An infusion of grant money is bolstering Cuesta College’s well-regarded nursing program.

The program is among 55 institutions across the state to receive the “Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure” grant.

“We're working hard here to to create and help new nurses out in the field. And that's going to, in turn, help our hospital partners as well,” says Rick Staley, full-time faculty at the Cuesta College R.N. program.

The Community Colleges Chancellor's Office made the selections based on results from the National Certification and Licensure Exam, or “NCLEX.”

“I’m really looking forward to having a simulation technician as part of the grant. Simulation takes a lot of preparation and a lot of setup, and our current faculty really haven't had the time to do that with all of our other responsibilities,” says Staley.

The grant is worth $623,000.

“Here in the simulation lab, our teachers like to get a little creative, so they tend to give us a little harder time than we actually see in the hospital. They do tend to get us out of our comfort zone and this is a safe place for us. So, you know, we get to ask questions, we get to clarify things. We do tend to gain more confidence here,” says Valerie Farias, a first-year R.N. student at Cuesta.

This money will support the program's R.N. accreditation, bolstering of L.V.N. to R.N. pathways, digital & multilingual textbooks, and expansion of current programs to assist in retention and completion.

“They really do make this a really successful program for all students,” says Farias.

Cuesta College’s NCLEX pass rate is reported by the Board of Registered Nursing at 100%, surpassing both state and national averages.

“In the area of equity, especially this is going to offer them iPads and access to things that maybe they haven't had before. So I'm excited for that for students,” says Staley.

The college will be leveraging this grant with other private and public donations and investments.