CSUSM TO EXPAND NURSING PROGRAM WITH $200,000 GIFT

Cal State San Marcos has received a gift of $200,000 from the Henry L. Guenther Foundation to further develop the university’s nursing simulation and skills labs in San Marcos and Temecula, it was announced Nov. 8.

Funding is intended to equip three lab complexes with advanced technology and equipment, including virtual reality, simulation manikins and industry-standard instruments that will mirror real health care settings.

“Thanks to the generosity of the Guenther Foundation, the School of Nursing at CSUSM is able to advance its simulation capacity with the purchase of stateof-the-art technology that offers nursing students an opportunity to participate in faculty-guided, simulated experiences that prepare students for the real-world scenarios they will face during their clinical rotations and as practicing nurses after they graduate,” said Jennifer Ostergren, dean of CSUSM’s College of Education, Health and Human Services.

CSUSM last renovated its oncampus nursing facility in 2014, resulting in a 12,000-square-foot space with 11 beds, a simulation theater and four mock exam rooms. The university also added several body-accurate manikins that allow students to engage in realistic patient-care scenarios.

“We know there’s a critical need for nurses in California,” said Susanne Sundberg, chairwoman of the Guenther Foundation Board of Directors. “The Board of Directors is confident that the simulation and skills lab as funded by the Henry L. Guenther Foundation will help increase a qualified nursing workforce in the state.”

The Guenther Foundation is a nonprofit based in Seal Beach.