Chamberlain University Opens Irwindale, Calif., Campus to Expand Access to Education and Address Nursing Shortage

With a projected nationwide nursing shortage of nearly half a million nurses by 2030, it’s estimated that the state of California will experience the largest shortage of nurses out of all 50 U.S. States.ⁱ In an effort to address the supply/demand imbalance of the healthcare workforce, Chamberlain University, one of the largest nursing schools in the U.S., is expanding its footprint with the opening of its Irwindale campus in order to expand access to nursing education and better address critical workforce needs.

With a 130-year history of excellence in healthcare education and currently serving Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students across 22 campuses in 15 states and online, Chamberlain University is committed to furthering its mission, reach and scale by consistently graduating highly qualified students that are representative of the communities that they will go on to serve. Irwindale will join the other campuses as Chamberlain’s 23rd location.

According to a report from the California Board of Registered Nursing, only 39% of qualified applicants were accepted to BSN programs in the state in 2018/2019¹. Coupled with the severity of the Los Angeles-area nursing shortage², the Chamberlain Irwindale campus will increase capacity to educate qualified nurses to serve the healthcare needs of the community.

“Expanding access to nursing education is a critical first step to address the nursing shortages and ensure our employer partners are able to offer quality care in their communities,” said Karen Cox, Ph.D., RN, FACHE, FAAN, president of Chamberlain University. “With the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating healthcare workforce challenges including burnout and compassion fatigue, now is a critical time to scale our educational offerings to meet these critical workforce needs. In addition, as the leading grantor of BSN degrees to underrepresented minority students in the U.S., we are focused on graduating diverse healthcare professionals who are committed to improving patient outcomes for all, including those disproportionately affected by COVID-19.”

The new location will offer the opportunity for students to complete their BSN in just three years with year-round study. This accelerated program allows for passionate future nurses to enter the workforce more quickly and start making an impact within the community sooner.

“We are dedicated to providing quality education and training for the outstanding nurses of the future. As our campus opens, we are eager to join the community by providing the culture necessary to educate students who will become extraordinary nurses. As our graduates will represent the nursing profession by making a difference in the lives of patients, they will see that being a nurse is not just a career, but caring for others will become part of their identity.” said Diane Morey, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, Irwindale campus president.