College of Health and Human Services
School of Nursing
Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Message from Leadership
Dear Donor, As we reflect on another transformative year at the SDSU School of Nursing, I am filled with pride for our community. I extend my deepest gratitude to our donors—your partnership makes our students’ futures and faculty innovations possible. This year, we will expand nursing education through a landmark partnership with the City of Chula Vista. Alongside our growth in the Imperial Valley, our new Accelerated Second Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing program at the Millenia Library creates opportunities for local students to serve their own communities. We also launched our Doctor of Nursing Practice program, preparing Family, Adult-Gerontology, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners to meet California’s urgent need for primary and behavioral health care providers. Your philanthropy supports scholarships, advanced simulation labs, and the infrastructure needed to sustain these programs. Because of you, our students and faculty continue strengthening health care access throughout San Diego and Imperial County. Thank you for being an essential part of the SDSU School of Nursing family.
Karen Macauley, Ph.D., DNP, FNP-BC, GNP Director, School of Nursing
Philanthropy
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward Nursing Program Expansion Fund The School of Nursing received generous support for the Nursing Program Expansion Fund, which advances efforts to expand nursing education and strengthen the healthcare workforce. Contributions support program growth initiatives, including enhanced skills and simulation learning environments, investments in instructional equipment and technology, clinical partnership development, and facility improvements. These efforts help increase student training opportunities and prepare future nurses to meet the evolving health care needs of California and beyond.
School of Nursing students sharpen their clinical skills in the simulation lab, gaining hands-on experience and confidence in a safe learning environment.
Student Spotlight
Thriving in the Aztec Experience Gillian Lunod, Class of 2026 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Health and Human Services Major: Nursing I am blessed to be a summa cum laude graduate from the School of Nursing! As president and image of nursing director for the Student Nurses Association, my recent initiatives have included establishing a framework for leadership committees and coordinating our board’s first retreat. My involvement has furthered into my role as a CNSA communications co-director. I have received recognition for my efforts, including the NSNA Core Values Award and the Army Nurse Leadership Award by the SON. Moreover, I served as a resident advisor, where I carried out intentional residential programming. I was also active in SDSU’s AB Samahan, in which I preserved Fil-Am culture by coordinating our 39th Annual Culture Night and curating a digital newsletter. Notably, I completed 600 hours during my med-surg, telemetry, and oncology externship at the VA San Diego and will be starting my registered nurse career there. I aspire to support student nurses by becoming a clinical instructor and ultimately becoming a clinical nurse specialist. Pursuing higher education has allowed me to create a culture of care wherever I go—I would not have had these incredible opportunities without choosing SDSU!
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Pursuing higher education has allowed me to create a culture of care wherever I go—I would not have had these incredible opportunities without choosing SDSU!
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Student Spotlight
Kanyada Doughty, Class of 2026 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Health and Human Services Major: Nursing During my time at the SDSU School of Nursing, I discovered the power of community and its impact on health and wellbeing. I became involved as a research assistant, volunteered in Costa Rica, Spain, and Mexico, and served in leadership roles through the Student Nurses’ Association and Friends of MSF. I further developed my clinical skills through externships in a trauma progressive care unit and labor and delivery unit. As an instructional student assistant in the Fundamentals of Nursing Lab, I mentored more than 120 nursing students, strengthening my passion for education and collaboration. Through these experiences, I gained a holistic perspective on patient care and a deep appreciation for cultural humility and diverse lived experiences. I am honored to have received the AMN Healthcare Services Nursing Scholarship, the Lorraine Sears Bryant Memorial Scholarship, and the Lottie Olberg Trust Scholarship. I was also recognized as an outstanding graduate, graduating summa cum laude and valedictorian. Moving forward, I aspire to lead as a nurse who inspires through research, compassion, and culturally responsive care.
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I am honored to have received the AMN Healthcare Services Nursing Scholarship, the Lorraine Sears Bryant Memorial Scholarship, and the Lottie Olberg Trust Scholarship.
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Student Spotlight
Ara Jin, Class of 2026 Class Level: Graduate Student College: College of Health and Human Services Major: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist Ara came to the United States from South Korea in 2018 on her own, with limited English and no clear roadmap for her future. Before immigrating, she worked as a charge nurse during the MERS outbreak in South Korea. She continued her nursing career in emergency departments and trauma centers, including during the COVID-19 surge in New York City. At San Diego State University, Ara enrolled in the AdultGerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist program to expand her impact on patient care. Through clinical rotations, interprofessional education, and faculty mentorship, she developed the skills needed for advanced practice. A highlight of her experience was SDSU’s interprofessional education program, where she collaborated with students across health professions and strengthened her commitment to team-based, patient-centered care. Graduating with a 4.0 GPA and receiving the Graduate Academic Excellence Award are accomplishments she is proud of, but what she values most are the knowledge, confidence, and professional relationships she gained. SDSU prepared her to provide compassionate, evidencebased care and continue growing as a healthcare professional.
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SDSU prepared her to provide compassionate, evidence-based care and continue growing as a healthcare professional.
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Points of Pride
Celebrating Shared Success Current Rankings The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program ranked 59th nationally. The nursing master's programs ranked 67th nationally. Statistics of Interest For Fall 2025, SDSU received close to 10,000 pre-licensure freshman applications for the SDSU Main Campus and 600 for the Imperial Valley Campus. Current pre-licensure enrollment includes 581 students at SDSU Main Campus and 57 students at SDSU Imperial Valley Campus. The overall pre-licensure graduation rate is 88.5% over four years for the SDSU Main Campus, with a 91% NCLEX pass rate over the last three years. At the Imperial Valley Campus, the three-year pre-licensure graduation rate is 100%. Currently developing formal MOUs with California Community Colleges (CCCs): City College, Southwestern, Palomar, Grossmont, Mira Costa, Cerritos College, and Imperial Valley College. RN-to-BSN current enrollment (both campuses): 105. Cross-enrollment numbers (both campuses): 120. Overall two-year graduation rate: 98%. Recent Highlights The San Diego State University School of Nursing (SON) will soon launch programs in Chula Vista. These programs span from pre-licensure to graduate studies and are designed to equip nurses with the knowledge, skills, and leadership capabilities necessary to meet the nursing workforce needs in the communities we serve. Over the last two years, the SON has secured $3.7 million in federal and state funds and more than $2 million in philanthropy to support expansion. The SDSU School of Nursing prepares advanced practice nurses and nurse leaders through toprated graduate education. All Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) tracks have fully transitioned to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. The DNP program offers a Post-MSN pathway alongside specializations for Family, Adult/Gerontology, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, as well as Adult Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialists.
National Rankings
SDSU Nursing earned national recognition: No. 59 for BSN program and No. 67 for master’s programs.
Faculty and Staff Achievements
Karen Anderson, Ph.D., RN, MSN, CHSE Title: Simulation and Skills Lab Coordinator College: College of Health and Human Services Achievement: Dr. Karen Anderson's doctoral dissertation examined how senior nursing students demonstrate empathy when caring for patients with serious illnesses. The study highlighted the importance of compassionate, patientcentered communication. She was selected to present her work at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH). In May 2026, Dr. Anderson completed her Ph.D. in Nursing while continuing to lead transformative simulation-based learning initiatives across the SDSU School of Nursing. Since assuming the role of Simulation and Skills Lab Coordinator in 2022, Dr. Anderson has developed and implemented a standardized patient simulation program that now serves approximately 400 undergraduate and graduate nursing students annually, ensuring consistent, high-quality experiential learning opportunities. Dr. Anderson has played an integral role in expanding access to nursing education through the development of a new stateof-the-art skills and simulation laboratory for SDSU’s Accelerated Second Baccalaureate Nursing Program in the South Bay, scheduled to launch in Spring 2027. Working closely with university leaders, Global Campus, architects, and the City of Chula Vista, she has led the design of the skills lab and simulation spaces, ensuring compliance with healthcare and ADA standards while creating realistic clinical learning environments. Her responsibilities have included designing and laying out classrooms, assessment rooms, hospital simulation suites, and skills laboratories; selecting high-fidelity simulation manikins and clinical equipment; implementing audiovisual technology to support recording and debriefing; developing simulation curriculum; and orienting and training the new simulation coordinator. The new South Bay program will admit 50 students annually and expand access to highquality nursing education for underserved communities. Through her leadership in simulation education, nursing scholarship, and program development, Dr. Anderson is helping prepare the next generation of nurses while strengthening the healthcare workforce throughout the San Diego region. Her work reflects SDSU’s commitment to innovation, community engagement, and excellence in healthcare education.
Faculty and Staff Achievements
Erika Rodriguez, MSN, RN, CNS Title: Assistant Director School of Nursing Imperial Valley College: College of Health and Human Services Achievement: Accepted into a Ph.D. nursing program, with research focused on cardiovascular disease in Imperial Valley and strengthened by collaboration with rural areas in Nebraska. This achievement advances rural health scholarship and supports research that may inform nursing practice, improve cardiovascular outcomes, and benefit rural communities across the U.S. Erika Rodriguez implemented and ensured the successful integration of expanded simulation-based learning across the nursing curriculum in Imperial Valley to better prepare the next generation of nurses for the realities of patient care. This achievement created a more consistent, hands-on learning experience by requiring every nursing course to include patient-centered simulation scenarios aligned with course outcomes. Through this initiative, each course now incorporates a minimum of two simulations, with some courses offering up to five simulation experiences. These simulations were intentionally embedded throughout the curriculum so students could repeatedly practice clinical judgment, communication, teamwork, and patient safety in a structured and supportive learning environment. These experiences allow students to apply classroom knowledge to realistic patient situations, build confidence, and receive feedback before entering or advancing in clinical practice. The quality of simulation was also advanced through the incorporation of immersive technology and standardized patients into the student learning experience. Immersive technology allows students to engage with complex, high-risk, or less frequently encountered patient care scenarios, while standardized patients support the development of therapeutic communication, cultural humility, assessment skills, and professional behaviors through realistic human interaction. This curriculum-wide implementation strengthened the connection between theory and practice while supporting the need for a well-prepared nursing workforce in Imperial Valley. As a result, students are better equipped to respond to patient needs, adapt to changing clinical environments, and enter the workforce with greater readiness. By increasing both the quantity and quality of simulation experiences, this achievement improved student preparation, strengthened clinical competence, and supported the health care needs of the region.
Faculty and Staff Achievements
Danisha Jenkins, Ph.D., RN, CCRN-K, NHDP-BC, NEA-BC, SANE-A Title: Assistant Professor College: College of Health and Human Services Achievement: Recent principal investigator for a $1.5 million NETEC STAND award in collaboration with Sharp HealthCare to support regional readiness and interdisciplinary clinical education for the care of patients with high-consequence infectious diseases. She shared the following: I am the state-nominated Director of Nursing Practice for the American Nurses Association California. I maintain clinical and leadership expertise in disaster nursing and nursing practice under extremis.
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Dr. Jenkins is leading a $1.5M NETEC STAND award to strengthen regional readiness and clinical education for high-consequence infectious disease care.
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Thank you for your generous support.
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