Nursing Workforce Development (NWD) - California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) proposes the NEST Educational Progression Ecosystem Program to expand educational opportunities and strengthen workforce readiness for nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds through implementation of the NEST Educational Progression Ecosystem. Consistent with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Nursing Workforce Development Program, the project addresses financial, academic, mentoring, and professional barriers that can limit student persistence, graduation, and successful transition into the registered nursing workforce. CSUSB serves one of California's most diverse student populations, including large proportions of first-generation college students and Pell Grant recipients. Many graduates remain in California's Inland Empire, a rapidly growing region experiencing persistent shortages of registered nurses and numerous medically underserved communities. Institutional assessment demonstrates that while nursing students possess the academic ability and resilience to succeed, many face financial challenges, limited access to mentoring, uncertainty regarding career pathways, and barriers to professional development. The proposed project responds to these needs through a coordinated, evidence-informed system of financial assistance, longitudinal mentoring, leadership development, individualized career planning, and structured transition-to-practice support. The NEST Educational Progression Ecosystem integrates four complementary components: (1) the NEST Scholars Program, which provides financial assistance and comprehensive scholar support; (2) the NEST Mentoring Model, which pairs scholars with trained faculty and professional nurse mentors and utilizes an Individual Career Development Plan (ICDP) to guide academic and professional development; (3) the NEST Mentor Development Program, which prepares faculty and professional mentors to deliver high-quality, evidence-informed mentoring; and (4) the NEST Early Career Transition Academy, which extends mentoring, career coaching, and professional development through the first year of registered nurse practice. Over the four-year project period, CSUSB will recruit and support 80 NEST Scholars (20 annually) from the senior year of the pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing program through their first year of professional practice. Scholars will participate in coordinated financial support, individualized mentoring, leadership development, innovation and evidence-based practice activities, professional networking, career coaching, and structured transition-to-practice programming designed to strengthen educational success and workforce readiness. The project is expected to improve retention, graduation, successful transition into the registered nursing workforce, professional identity, leadership development, and continued educational progression while expanding mentoring capacity through faculty and professional mentor development. By establishing a sustainable institutional model that supports students across critical educational and professional transition points, the NEST Educational Progression Ecosystem will strengthen the regional nursing workforce and increase the capacity of nurses prepared to serve medically underserved communities throughout California's Inland Empire.
