Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Grant Program

The Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure (RNI) Grant Program seeks to expand nursing programs and partnerships, address nursing shortages, and increase, educate, and maintain the next generation of registered nurses through the community college system.

In 2025, first round California Community Colleges grant recipients were identified, and grantees submitted work plans in alignment with these aims and Vision 2030, a collaborative action plan that provides focus, equity, and direction to California’s community colleges in the specific areas of access, support, and success.

There are many original and innovative RNI plans underway. Here we feature one from each region to reflect the variety of approaches that address the aims of the program in unique ways.

Region/District/College

Features of Approach

Bay Area/San Jose-Evergreen/Evergreen Valley College

K-12-to-LVN-to-ADN-to-BSN pipeline with dual enrollment and robust student support

Central Valley Mother Lode/Kern/Cerro Coso Community College

Mobile simulation unit, faculty professional development, and alignment with regional hospitals

Inland Empire Desert/Desert/College of the Desert

Immersive simulation ecosystem; mentoring and co-teaching for new and adjunct faculty

Los Angeles/Rio Hondo/Rio Hondo College

Tuition reimbursement for faculty completing BSN-to-MSN

North Far North/Redwoods/College of the Redwoods

Healthcare Hub

Orange County/Coast/Saddleback College

Integrated CNA-ACNA-LVN-ADN Pathway

San Diego Imperial/MiraCosta/Mira Costa College

LVN-to-RN apprenticeships

South Central Coast/Ventura County/Ventura College

Affordable pathways with multiple student costs covered by college

For questions, please contact NursingApps@CCCCO.edu.

RNI Featured Program Highlights

  • Mobile simulation unit, bringing high-fidelity, scenario-based patient care training directly to outlying rural communities and allowing allows students in remote areas to receive hands-on clinical experience, reducing geographic and transportation barriers in expansive 18,000-square-mile service region
  • Mobile lab incorporates telehealth scenarios and emergency response training
  • Faculty upskilling, mentoring, and participation in multi-college professional development collaboratives
  • Investment in virtual reality headsets, AI-supported electronic health records, and software, allowing students to build clinical reasoning, digital literacy, and documentation skills
  • Alignment with regional hospitals and development of long-term clinical partnerships, a replicable model for other remote healthcare deserts
  • Immersive simulation ecosystem: full lab renovation with virtual reality integration, equipping every ADN student with iPads and NCLEX software
  • Structured multi-cohort mentorship and co-teaching program for new/adjunct faculty, tying progression to MSN tuition support and retention outcomes
  • Centralized case management with adoption of specialized student outcomes roles, e.g. Student Outcomes Specialist, for retention, NCLEX prep, and wraparound supports—ensuring first-generation and underrepresented groups have targeted guidance
  • “Healthcare Hub” (HUB Central Center) in Arcata, structured as a central, state-of-the-art simulation and training facility to advance nursing education for the region; includes high-fidelity equipment, simulation manikins, virtual reality tools, and skills labs
  • Centralized location designed to overcome geographic isolation and clinical placement shortages typical of the college’s service region
  • Staffing model includes a dedicated clinical coordinator based at Arcata site responsible for building new community healthcare partnerships and managing placements
  • Hub leased from Cal Poly Humboldt, strengthening BSN pathway articulation and concurrent enrollment opportunities, while modernizing ADN and BSN pipelines
  • Comprehensive K-12-to-LVN-to-ADN-to-BSN pipeline with dual enrollment, offering high school students direct nursing prerequisites and clear transitions into LVN and ADN programs
  • Flexible schedule evening/weekend LVN-to-RN cohort specifically for adult learners, with bridge curriculum tailored based on consultation with BRN and local hospitals
  • Expanded partnership with San Jose State University, allowing all qualifying ADN students to directly enroll in BSN coursework
  • Institution-wide ATI and UWorld licenses for NCLEX prep, removing cost to students
  • Dedicated clinical coordinator, modernized placement systems, and immunization tracking
  • Robust case management, mental health, tutoring, and mentorship programs, all embedded within admissions and orientation processes
  • Revised holistic admissions rubric for equity
  • Stipends and flexible working hours tied to measurable student retention and satisfaction metrics
  • Full slate of faculty development training in immersive instructional technology
  • Integrated CNA–ACNA–LVN–ADN pathway allowing seamless movement from CNA, ACNA, LVN, and ADN with tailored on-ramps and off-ramps for working students, adult learners, and underrepresented groups; leverages non-credit and credit for prior learning to decrease program time and cost and increase accessibility
  • Accelerated evening and weekend cohort for LVN-to-ADN and ADN students, addressing working adult needs and maximizing clinical rotation capacity during off-peak times
  • Dedicated case management position to provide individualized support all students
  • New Director of Clinical Operations position for concurrent management of simulation, skills workshops, and community and hospital site placements
  • Faculty upskilling with CHSE and CNE certifications, formal bootcamps, and ongoing support for new faculty
  • Pipeline scale-up through LVN-apprenticeship model, ADN-BSN concurrent enrollment, simulation/VR expansion, regional faculty boot camps
  • First-in-district LVN-to-RN apprenticeship directly addressing clinical placement shortages and expanding access for working LVNs. Students complete clinical experiences at their workplaces under structured preceptorships, creating new routes for upward mobility while reducing strain on traditional clinical site
  • Concurrent enrollment with both CSU San Marcos and San Diego State, facilitating seamless academic progression from ADN to BSN and overcoming regional barriers as virtually all recent grads previously transferred only to private/out-of-state schools despite local demand
  • Planned integration of 20 additional hours of VR simulation and new non-acute placements per student
  • Regional faculty/director boot camps (through SDICCC partnerships), building leadership and instructional capacity beyond Mira Costa’s campus and helping sustain quality as programs expand rapidly
  • MOU with CSUDH guarantees full tuition and structured progress tracking for both generic and LVN-to-BSN students, run by a dedicated program manager
  • Faculty receive tuition reimbursement for BSN-to-MSN completion, with a structured service payback, addressing instructor shortages from within
  • County’s first concurrent ADN-BSN with CSU Channel Islands
  • Affordable pathways targeting low-income students with no cost to students for: text books; CNA program entry fees; iPad bundle preloaded with all textbooks, clinical skills, testing, and NCLEX-prep software; and extensive financial aid for transition to BSN
  • Consistent access to tech-enabled learning, while simultaneously deploying equivalent technology for faculty cross-training
  • Drop-in mental health support pilot dedicated specifically to nursing students facing stress/anxiety, with data-driven plans to scale for broader student retention impact
  • Implementation of leading-edge simulation software (Swift River) and faculty professional development to modernize pedagogy and increase use of immersive technology for students and instructors alike