Nursing shortages have been an issue in the entire United States for years. There has been an increased demand for more nurses in the Coachella Valley in recent years. College of the Desert and Eisenhower Health are working together to help meet the community’s needs. While ensuring nursing students are continuing to receive a thorough, well-rounded education before they enter the medical field.

COD’s School of Health Sciences and Education has begun working towards educational and structural expansions within and outside the walls of the nursing complex. Nursing Simulation Faculty Mary Suarez says the college is adding more nursing pathways, looking to expand labs and classrooms, and accepting more students starting in 2024. To accommodate the increase in students, the college also plans to add a lab to the Eisenhower campus. Suarez finds the most challenging part of the expansion is the lack of nursing educators available to meet the growing rate of prospective nursing students.  As a registered nurse herself, Suarez has worked in an understaffed hospital environment and felt the struggle to provide the best patient care. She hopes the growing number of prospective nurses will aid in properly staffing hospitals and ensuring safety. 

COD has spent years developing a close relationship with Eisenhower Health and the Coachella Valley community. This relationship has allowed the expansions to provide nursing students easier transitions into the local workforce. COD Nursing Student and Student Nurse Association President Shara Hannah says she sees “a more streamlined entrance” for nursing students into the working field. Hannah also discussed how being SNA president allowed her to meet the community and help while in school. SNA allowed her to collaborate with California State University, San Bernardino, to further community outreach. CSSB and COD nursing program students now have the opportunity to participate in what they call “street medicine,” where nursing students go out into the community and provide assistance to those who do not have access to medical care. 

The relationship that COD has with Eisenhower Health continues to flourish with the expansions the college is making. Since both strive to meet the community’s needs, Eisenhower Health prides itself on providing a space where patient care is the priority. Eisenhower’s Chief Nursing Officer Ben Farber says when hiring new graduates, he is looking for people with the same priority. He says, “I am looking for people who will put the patient first.” Eisenhower’s Public Information Officer, Lee Rice, emphasized how the positive work environment for nurses at the hospital was taken very seriously to ensure the best patient care. The non-profit hospital is recognized as the only magnet-designated organization in the Coachella Valley and the first in the Inland Empire. Farber and Rice say the American Nurses Credentialing Center has recognized Eisenhower Health as a beacon and a magnet for great nurses. Working alongside COD provides excellent opportunities and experience for prospective nurses. They are currently working towards their third accreditation.

The future relationship between COD and Eisenhower Health is one that the college and the hospital see growing beyond the expansions. Farber, Hannah, and Suarez all stressed how strong and important the relationship was to both parties. With the community being at the forefront of their minds, COD and Eisenhower Health are confident the nursing programs at the college will continue attracting more future nurses and even better healthcare.