Grants help student nurses at CSUSM

By: NOELLE IBRAHIM - Staff Writer | Saturday, September 2, 2006 10:28 PM PDT ∞

SAN MARCOS ---- Lois Dan has seen the effect that caring has on those who truly need it.

When her aunt Emanuela Dan was diagnosed with leukemia a few years ago, Lois Dan was touched by the positive effect the nurses had on her aunt's attitude.

"It was so comforting to her, knowing that there were people there who were really concerned with her well-being," said Dan.

With her aunt's passing, Dan decided that she too wanted to make a difference in people's lives. A bachelor's degree in American studies from UC Davis already under her belt, 26-year-old Dan scrapped her post-graduate plans of becoming a teacher to pursue a career in nursing. She's one of 44 students enrolled in a new Cal State San Marcos nursing program.

Her education has been a financial challenge, making her a candidate for help from Flo's Cookie Jar, an emergency grants fund for nursing students.

Nursing is expensive compared to other educational programs, with costs such as uniforms, medical supply kits, malpractice insurance, physicals and background checks.

"By the time students buy these and other materials, they're in around $1,000, on top of paying for textbooks and tuition," said Judy Papenhausen, director of the Cal State San Marcos school of nursing. "That's a lot of money to come up with when you're already struggling to eat and pay rent."

Dan, who spends 30 hours a week working as an assistant to a real estate agent in Encinitas, was struggling to afford health insurance for her and her husband, Martin, who is also a full-time student, without taking on extra hours at work.

"I have tons of loans out from Davis, so I didn't want to keep on adding to it," said Dan.

Luckily for Dan, Papenhausen forwarded her name and situation to Flo's Cookie Jar.

A collaboration of Californians for Patient Care, the California Nursing Students' Association, the Association of California Nurse Leaders, the California Institute for Nursing and Health Care and the deans and directors of college nursing programs, Flo's Cookie Jar helps student nurses graduate to alleviate the state's severe nurse shortage.

California ranks last nationwide in the number of registered nurses per capita, with more than 20 percent fewer nurses than the national average, according to "The Registered Nurse Population," published by the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration in March 2006.

Of the students enrolled in California nursing schools, about 21 percent leave school and another 9 percent are behind in their studies, mainly because of minor financial or personal emergencies, according to the California Board of Registered Nursing in 2006.

"Many students in the field come from low socioeconomic backgrounds, so if their car breaks down or they have to replace their stove, they can't afford it," said Kristine Yahn, founding chair of Flo's Cookie Jar and executive director of the advocacy group Californians for Patient Care. "They need to work more, and often their only recourse is to drop out."

Yahn said Flo's Cookie Jar is working to cut the attrition rate in half by taking care of those unexpected financial crises through scholarships up to $2,000. Since May, the organization has awarded about 15 grants.

"This gives them a boost financially to keep them in school and mentally to take the worry off their minds," said Yahn. "We don't want students to drop out just because they need $1,500."

The essence of Flo's is to aid students in good standing who need help immediately. Yahn said after two board members approve the application, the goal is to put a check in the student's hands within 72 hours.

Dan, who received a $1,000 check at Cal State San Marcos last week, said she was impressed with how quickly the organization worked.

"It was totally a blessing," said Dan, who can now afford health insurance. "Getting that extra help takes off so much stress. I was incredibly relieved."

Yahn, a registered nurse for 38 years, said she knows how it feels to live on the financial edge. She was once a single mother celebrating her 21st birthday on a hospital night shift.

"It was just a challenge working full-time, caring for a child and going to school at night," she said. "We do want we can, but if you have a financial emergency, it just knocks your socks off."

Other people in the community are also finding ways to help out local student nurses. The Dove uniform company donated gift certificates for uniforms to Cal State San Marcos nursing students Anna Ibragimchayer and Maria Sirio, while Rancho Bernardo resident Matt McLaughlin pitched in more than $4,300 to allow each of the 44 students in the nursing program to get a health care tote kit, a bag filled with medical supplies like stethoscopes, which they will need throughout their course of study.

"This just shows the interest the community has in the success of the nursing program," said Papenhausen. "We've had such a great response to our opening, and we are very appreciative."

Contact staff writer Noelle Ibrahim at (760) 761-4404 or nibrahim@nctimes.com.

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