Santiago Canyon College is launching an innovative approach to health care education aimed at preparing the next generation of registered nurses by “cultivating a culture of care.â€
Funded by a two-year Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure grant, awarded in 2025 by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, SCC's Humanizing Healthcare initiative will expand nursing pathways, reimagine nursing education and help prepare more qualified nurses to meet California's growing health care workforce needs.
“Orange County is facing a critical shortfall in the health care workforce just as our population is aging rapidly,†said SCC Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Michelle Samura. “The RNI grant has enabled us to mobilize our entire campus to build a responsive and highly supportive pathway.â€
Thirty faculty members representing 21 disciplines from across all SCC divisions have come together for the initiative, participating in what Samura calls “building bridges†across five key areas.
One key area focuses on interdisciplinary curriculum, including offering a Medical and Healthcare Humanities certificate that SCC will launch this fall. The first program of its kind at a California community college, it will integrate the arts, humanities and social sciences into nursing and health care education through new courses such as Spanish for Healthcare Professionals and Sociology of Aging and Health.
A second area includes enhancing current curriculum with modules that are tailored to pre-nursing and health care students and will support the relevance between classes and career. This fall, SCC will pilot several nursing-contextualized courses in English, chemistry and math and will add more in spring 2027.
“It's about moving from what I would call a patient-centered system to a person-centered system that supports a more holistic approach to health care, providing nurses and other skilled providers not only with medical knowledge, but also with the tools to become empathetic, reflective and compassionate people,†said SCC professor of philosophy James Granitto, who leads the development of the new certificate and courses.
A third area involves increasing access to SCC's Associate of Science in Pre-Nursing and Allied Health Science degree path from multiple entry points, such as SCC's Continuing Education offerings. These tuition-free, noncredit certificate programs can be obtained while pursuing credit courses and include options such as Certified Nursing Assistant, Lactation Educator Specialist and Behavior Technician. A Licensed Vocational Nurse certificate will be available beginning in the fall of 2027.
“If students who want to go into nursing obtain a license and work while going to school, when they apply to get into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at a four-year institution, they can state they have hands-on experience in patient care,†said SCC Dean of Instruction and Student Services and Continuing Education Christine Gascon.
A fourth area emphasizes the relationship between SCC and four-year universities' BSN degree pathways to ensure competitive applications for seamless transfer. The Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure grant outlines partnerships with CSU and UC institutions, and the initiative is starting specifically with UC Irvine and Cal State San Bernardino.
“We are working with Santiago Canyon College to guarantee that students who want to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing at UC Irvine will know what they need, get the support to achieve it, and have a real shot,†said Mark Lazenby, UC Irvine dean of nursing and professor of nursing and philosophy.
At Cal State San Bernardino, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences Sastry G. Pantula also emphasized the partnership, “We are very excited to partner with Santiago Canyon College to make the transition to our nursing and healthcare programs at Cal State San Bernardino smooth.â€
As part of this area, community-engaged research experiences are being developed to build students' leadership and professional skills. The work also includes expanding support services to promote student success. These efforts are led by SCC associate professor of sociology Melissa Govea-Von Velasco, assistant professor of ethnic studies Ana Barba and associate professor of political science Brenda Carpio.
“We are creating opportunities for students to see themselves not just as learners, but as researchers, knowledge producers and future leaders in their communities,†Carpio said.
The fifth area addresses connecting the entire initiative framework to the community through coursework, guidance and support. As aRebuilding Nursing Infrastructure faculty liaison and a Latina educator, SCC professor of biology Sandra Sanchez is working to ensure that SCC graduates reflect and understand the communities they serve.
“Through the RNI grant, I support initiatives that expand access, strengthen transfer pathways to BSN programs and foster a sense of belonging among students who may not always see themselves represented in health care professions,†Sanchez said. “This work is critical because a diverse health care workforce enhances cultural understanding, promotes equity and leads to more compassionate, patient-centered care.â€
For those just starting their journey into the nursing field or for current nurses seeking professional development and continuing education opportunities, SCC is reimagining nursing education in a way that is accessible, relevant and community focused.
“We are shifting the paradigm of how we prepare health care workers,†Samura said. “It's about caring for a person, not just a patient. By bringing over 21 different academic disciplines to the table, we are ensuring our students enter the workforce with both technical precision and deep human empathy.â€
