{"id":61902,"date":"2025-09-22T19:04:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T17:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/samuel-merritt-university-expands-nursing-programs-to-help-close-californias-nursing-shortage\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T19:04:04","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T17:04:04","slug":"samuel-merritt-university-expands-nursing-programs-to-help-close-californias-nursing-shortage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/samuel-merritt-university-expands-nursing-programs-to-help-close-californias-nursing-shortage\/","title":{"rendered":"Samuel Merritt University Expands Nursing Programs to Help Close California\u2019s Nursing Shortage"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>OAKLAND, Calif.&#8211;(BUSINESS WIRE)&#8211;As California faces a critical shortage of registered nurses, Samuel Merritt University (SMU), a leader in health science education for over a century, is taking action to grow the nursing workforce and expand access to quality care across the state. SMU today announced a significant expansion of its nursing programs across multiple campuses, reflecting its commitment to addressing workforce shortages and preparing the next generation of skilled, compassionate nurses.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20250922123112\/en\/2580769\/5\/SMU-logo-color_2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20250922123112\/en\/2580769\/22\/SMU-logo-color_2.jpg\"><\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20250922123112\/en\/2580769\/5\/SMU-logo-color_2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20250922123112\/en\/2580769\/21\/SMU-logo-color_2.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\nCalifornia is projected to lose more than 106,000 nurses over the next decade, nearly a quarter of its nursing workforce. The state is already experiencing a staggering shortage of an estimated 36,000 nurses, and these shortages are felt in longer ER wait times, overloaded hospital units, and burnt-out clinical staff. The most effective way to close this gap is by educating and graduating more nurses.<\/p>\n<p>\nTo help meet this urgent need, SMU is significantly expanding enrollment across several high-demand nursing programs:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"bwlistdisc\">\n<li>\nSince opening in 2024, the Fresno campus has enrolled two cohorts of 48 students each in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program<\/li>\n<li>\nThe ABSN program will grow by 96 students with 48 students each at the Oakland and Sacramento campuses<\/li>\n<li>\nThe Entry-Level Master of Science in Nursing \u2013 Family Nurse Practitioner (ELMSN-FNP) program will add 24 new students<\/li>\n<li>\nThe Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in Oakland will increase by 24 students<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\nThese additional enrollments represent a major effort to bring more qualified nurses into California\u2019s healthcare system. The expansion is enabled in part by SMU\u2019s new flagship City Center Campus, opening in January 2026 in downtown Oakland. The state-of-the-art facility will feature advanced simulation suites, specialty labs and collaborative learning spaces designed to mirror the complexity of real healthcare environments. The new campus will also house a Health Sciences Simulation Center and a Motion Analysis Research Center, strengthening the University\u2019s ability to train practice-ready nurses and healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cThe nursing shortage isn\u2019t just about numbers. It\u2019s also about the systems that support education and training,\u201d said Dr. Steven Rush, Dean of the College of Nursing at SMU. \u201cSMU is creating a full pipeline, from student to nurse to educator. That includes innovative shared-faculty models, new pathways from graduation to teaching and modern clinical training environments that reflect what today\u2019s healthcare demands.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\nWith a mission to advance health equity and meet the needs of underserved communities, SMU\u2019s expansion reflects its belief that investing in workforce development is the best way to strengthen the healthcare system.<\/p>\n<p>\n<b>About Samuel Merritt University<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\nSince 1909, Samuel Merritt University (SMU) has been a leader in health science education, preparing students to meet critical workforce needs across California. With campuses in Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco Peninsula and Fresno, SMU has continually expanded its impact, becoming a doctoral degree-granting institution in 2002. In 2024, SMU opened its Fresno campus to address Central Valley healthcare challenges. In 2026, the new City Center Campus in downtown Oakland will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including a Health Sciences Simulation Center and a Motion Analysis Research Center, reinforcing SMU\u2019s commitment to training compassionate, skilled healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n<p>\nFor more information, visit <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cts.businesswire.com\/ct\/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.samuelmerritt.edu%2F&amp;esheet=54327061&amp;newsitemid=20250922123112&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=www.samuelmerritt.edu&amp;index=1&amp;md5=c7ff638ef21bbf3dc90477a5a67d614e\" rel=\"nofollow\" shape=\"rect\">www.samuelmerritt.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <b>Contacts<\/b> <\/p>\n<p>\n<b>Media Contact:<\/b><br \/>Greg Allen<br \/>\n<br \/><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"m&#97;&#x69;&#x6c;&#x74;o&#58;&#80;&#x52;&#x46;o&#114;&#83;&#x4d;&#x55;&#64;b&#111;&#x73;&#x70;&#x61;r&#46;&#x63;&#x6f;&#x6d;\" rel=\"nofollow\" shape=\"rect\">&#x50;&#x52;&#70;&#111;rS&#x4d;&#x55;&#x40;&#98;os&#x70;&#x61;&#x72;&#46;&#99;o&#x6d;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>OAKLAND, Calif.&#8211;(BUSINESS WIRE)&#8211;As California faces a critical shortage of registered nurses, Samuel Merritt University (SMU), a leader in health science education for over a century, is taking action to grow the nursing workforce and expand access to quality care across the state. SMU today announced a significant expansion of its nursing programs across multiple campuses, &#8230; <span class=\"more\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/samuel-merritt-university-expands-nursing-programs-to-help-close-californias-nursing-shortage\/\">[Read more&#8230;]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-business","4":"post-61902","6":"format-standard","7":"category-industry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Samuel Merritt University Expands Nursing Programs to Help Close California\u2019s Nursing Shortage - Pharma Trend<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/samuel-merritt-university-expands-nursing-programs-to-help-close-californias-nursing-shortage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Samuel Merritt University Expands Nursing Programs to Help Close California\u2019s Nursing Shortage - Pharma Trend\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"OAKLAND, Calif.&#8211;(BUSINESS WIRE)&#8211;As California faces a critical shortage of registered nurses, Samuel Merritt University (SMU), a leader in health science education for over a century, is taking action to grow the nursing workforce and expand access to quality care across the state. SMU today announced a significant expansion of its nursing programs across multiple campuses, ... 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