Pre-Licensure Nursing Students Begin Pediatric Pathway Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Eight nursing students from CDU’s Mervyn M. Dymally College of Nursing (MMDCON) have been selected to participate in the Pediatric Pathway Program in partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).
The Entry Level Masters in Nursing students will complete the majority of their clinical training at CHLA, gaining nearly 200 hours of extensive hands-on experience in pediatric care throughout their nursing education. As one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals, the students will be exposed to advanced clinical training that will prepare them to enter the workforce with confidence.
“Training at a world-renowned institution like CHLA provides our students with an extraordinary opportunity to learn from leading pediatric healthcare professionals while being immersed in a clinical setting that serves the cultural and socioeconomic diversity of Los Angeles County,” said Dr. Leah FitzGerald, MMDCON Dean.
The program comes at a critical time for the nursing profession as nearly 60% of California counties, including Los Angeles county, continue to face a nursing shortage. Additionally, there has been a shortage of workforce-ready pediatric nurses due to limited pediatric exposure in many pre-licensure nursing programs.
The Pediatric Pathway Program aims to help address those gaps through strengthening clinical readiness while helping students determine where they hope to launch their careers after graduation.
CDU is actively expanding partnerships with healthcare providers across Los Angeles County to increase access to high-quality clinical placements throughout the region, recognizing that many ELM students balance employment while earning their degree and benefit from clinical assignments located closer to where they live or work.