The School of Nursing (SON) is incredibly grateful to our donors who support student scholarships, faculty development, and research. We deeply appreciate your commitment to the nursing profession and provide opportunities for our faculty and students to serve our local communities.
Your generous gifts signifcantly impact alleviating the nation's nursing shortage and improving health outcomes in the communities we serve. Through these donations, we have expanded our undergraduate and graduate enrollments, space, and enrollment in our pre-licensure BSN at SDSU Imperial Valley and will launch the Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Practitioner program in the fall of 2025.
Our faculty has successfully secured millions in state and federal funding, and our Student Nurses Association has received many national awards.
You truly make a diference, and we are extremely grateful.
Karen Macauley, Ph.D., DNP, FNP-BC, GNP-BC Director School of Nursing
Changing Lives through Program Support
Carolyn and Clif Colwell Imperial Valley Nursing Fund
This gift will support the general operations of the SDSU nursing program in Imperial Valley, specifcally focusing on addressing the Imperial Valley region's nursing shortage and health disparities. The fund will support the greatest needs of the program, including 1) infrastructure improvements to existing facilities, facility rent expenses, technology purchases, and equipment expenses; 2) faculty and staf support, including faculty research/stipends, books and equipment, travel/accommodations, professional development, and curriculum development; and 3) student awards, including scrubs, equipment, travel to healthcare facilities and conferences, research expenses, and collaborative community projects.
Community Health Group Endowed Scholarship Honoring Albert Vitela
This newly established scholarship will support students in the School of Nursing.
Nursing Program Expansion Fund
This fund will provide support for The School of Nursing program expansion, including a formal Needs Assessment to present to the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN): Clinical Partner Recruitment, and Enhance Skills, Assessment, and Simulation Spaces (Equipment and Materials).
IVC School of Nursing White Coat Ceremony Fall 2023
Living the Aztec Experience
Julianne Diaz , Class of 2024
Class Level: Undergraduate Student
College: College of Health & Human Services, School of Nursing
Major: Nursing
Julianne completed two nursing externships in the Emergency Department at Scripps Encinitas, for a total of 500+ hours. She also volunteered as a Pathmaker Intern at Palomar Medical Center, with over 1200 hours completed.
She graduated as valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA and was selected as the Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the School of Nursing! She achieved all that while accelerating to graduate in December instead of May.
Lastly, she passed the NCLEX (BRN exam) in January and received her RN license. In April 2024, she started a new position at Sharp Grossmont Hospital as a Graduate Nurse Resident in the Emergency Department.
"Looking ahead, my goals are to continue learning and growing in my position as an ED nurse, to precept students and other new grads in the future, and to work towards certifcations in the ED, such as becoming a CEN and MICN. I look forward to exploring the many opportunities that the feld of nursing ofers!"
- Julianne Diaz
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Congratulations, Julianne, on being the Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the School of Nursing!
Savannah Sinke, Class of 2024
Class Level: Graduate Student College: College of Health and Human Services, School of Nursing
Major: Master of Science degree with a concentration in Advanced Practice Nursing of Adults and the Elderly (Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist)
Throughout my time as a graduate nursing student, I have continued to work as an RN at Sharp Memorial Hospital.
I completed clinical rotations at a VA primary care clinic, Sharp Grossmont Inpatient Cardiology, and Sharp Memorial ENT surgery.
I was the Emma Lora Johnson Memorial Scholarship recipient and the recipient of the San Diego-Imperial Geriatric Education Center Adult/Geriatric MSN Stipend. This grant is awarded to advanced practice nursing students who are motivated to work with individuals sufering from Alzheimer’s Disease and related disorders upon graduation.
I also completed an evidence-based practice project regarding reducing atelectasis in post-operative bariatric surgery patients.
I am very excited to spend more time with my two-year-old daughter while applying for jobs and studying for boards. I hope to work either as a primary care nurse practitioner, or as an inpatient heart failure nurse practitioner. I am excited to get to have an even bigger impact on my patients and my community through this new role.
“ I am excited to get to have an even bigger impact on my patients and my community... ”
Celebrating Shared Success
Recent Rankings
Master's In Nursing (MSN) program is ranked number 55 in Best Nursing Schools: Master's. Our ranking went from 78 (last year) to 55, which jumped 33 points.
Statistics of Interest
NCLEX (RN Nursing exam) pass rate for 2024 - 94.27%
$8M in Grant Awards
Recent Highlights
San Diego State University Imperial Valley is helping combat the critical nursing shortage in the region through the creation of a new, accelerated pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
The SDSU Imperial Valley BSN program provides freshman entry students the opportunity to complete their BSN in three years and transfer eligible students in two years.
BSN Program
Master's in Nursing (MSN) program is ranked number 55 in Best Nursing Schools for master's
SDSU Imperial Valley created a new, accelerated pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
Helping to Build a Brighter Future
Shiloh Williams, Ph.D., RN, NPD-BC, CNE
Title: Assistant Professor, SDSU Imperial Valley School of Nursing
College: College of Health and Human Services
Achievement: In spring 2024, Dr. Shiloh, in collaboration with Dr. Maria Keckler and Dr. Sean Hauze, was nominated by SDSU’s Regional I-Corp teaching team and the Desert & Pacifc Hub of the National I-Corp program to compete at the national level for the National Science Foundation’s National ICORP Program.
In January 2024, through her work on the Association of California Nurse Leaders' Health Policy Committee, her team was awarded the 2024 HealthImpact Daisy Team Nurse Leader award for advocating and driving policy change to improve the health and well-being of our communities in California.
She currently serves on a number of community-based committees focused on addressing the health needs of highrisk populations, including the Imperial County Community Heath Assessment/Community Health Improvement Plan Steering Committee, and was appointed the non-physician healthcare provider for the Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley’s Quality Improvement Health Equity Committee.
Additionally, she is a Talent Scholar through the SDSU/UCSD Cancer Research and Education to Advance Health Equity (CREATE) partnership and is a current SDSU VITal Institute Fellow working on projects focused on the use of immersive technologies in academia.
"I strongly believe that by addressing low health literacy, we can empower patients to become active members of their own care team, thus supporting true patient-centered care. Healthcare professionals need additional training to better understand the role of health literacy in their patient’s ability to participate in their care and fnd meaningful ways to not only identify low health literacy but also address it for each unique patient."
- Shiloh Williams, Ph.D., RN, NPD-BC, CNE
Faculty Achievements
Karen Anderson, SDSU School of Nursing Title: Simulation Coordinator College: College of Health and Human Services Achievement: Karen was awarded the CHHS Unity Award along with other colleagues this past May 2024.
This year, she also earned a Certifed Healthcare Simulation Educator® (CHSE) certifcation and authored the 2nd edition of Mosby's Textbook for Medication Assistants. She is currently working on the 3rd edition, which is scheduled to be released in 2025.
Karen was selected for the CSU Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) this year. This program prepares promising doctoral students for CSU faculty positions by providing fnancial support, mentorship by CSU faculty, professional development, and grant resources. It is the largest program of its kind in the U.S.
Karen has completed her frst year of the University of San Diego’s PhD program.
Lastly, Karen launched the Standardized Patient program in the School of Nursing’s simulation program and integrated the simulation experience into the Nurse Practitioner program.
“ Congratulations, Karen, on being awarded the CHHS Unity Award! ”
Sunnie M. Diaz, MSN, RN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN
Title: Course Coordinator: Nursing Care of the Acute and Chronically Ill Adult and Gerontologic Patient II and Lecturer College: College of Health and Human Services
Achievement: For the second year in a row, Sunnie was selected most infuential faculty by the SON Valedictorian.
Additionally, she was elected by the students to be their faculty speaker at the Nursing Pinning Ceremony.
"I strongly believe that nurses are the tangible expression of caring and helping the next generation of nurses grow their abilities to care for themselves while navigating the care of an increasingly acute and chronically ill patient population is a passion of mine.
I have worked in healthcare for over 20 years with the last 14 of that at the bedside caring for critically ill patients and it has taught me that nurses are happier, healthier and can better care for their patients when they prioritize themselves. Instilling this value in our nursing students is one way I can give back to the nursing profession at large."
- Sunnie M. Diaz, MSN, RN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN
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Congratulations, Sunnie, on being selected as the most infuential faculty for the second year in a row!
