In 1995 - years before the nursing shortage really hit California and the nation - Mount St. Mary's College (MSMC) started a 12-month accelerated nursing program, where students who had a college degree not only prepared to become RNs (Registered Nurses), but also earned a bachelor of science in nursing degree.

In 2006, the Catholic liberal arts college - with support from Kaiser Permanente - is more than halfway through an extensive expansion of the accelerated program as well as with its 50-year-old traditional bachelor's degree plus newer associate degree and master's degree in nursing programs.

"We had a three-year growth program, which actually we have made happen in one year because the demand is so high," said Jacqueline Doud, president of Mount St. Mary's.

"Nursing and teacher preparation have always been our flagship programs, because the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who founded the college back in 1925, have always kept in close touch with society's needs."

The expansion has increased the number of students in training at Mount St. Mary's two campuses from 500 to 700. Moreover, the college will raise the number of nurses it sends into the Southern California workforce annually from 160 to 260 students.

Doud, who served as provost of MSMC before becoming president, sees the expansion primarily as a social justice issue. She points out that her 80-year-old college has always had a special interest in the education of women of color from underrepresented groups.

"We're giving opportunity here," she said. "We know that education is the great leveler. And these are transitional people. They've gotten degrees in something else, and many have worked in different fields. So they're really excellent students. As a group, they're probably our strongest students.

"Educating qualified nurses is one of the greatest needs in our city right now," she pointed out. "And Kaiser, with its generous loan forgiveness program, is helping students who couldn't come up with the $40,000 tuition on their own. So it's a win-win situation all the way around."

The director of the Accelerated BSN department of nursing readily agrees.

Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Carol Purzycki reports that in 2005 Kaiser Permanente gave Mount St. Mary's $440,000 to start the student loan repayment program, which covered $25,000 or more than 60 percent of tuition for 17 students in the program. (After graduation, students are required to work two years at one of the HMO's 12 hospitals in Southern California.)

And last month, the health amaintenance organization, which was founded in 1945, gave another $850,000 to pay back loans for 34 more students in the upcoming 2006 class of accelerated students.

In addition, Kaiser received a grant for nearly $250,000 on behalf of Mount St. Mary's College for nursing student scholarships and faculty stipends.

"I tell my students, if I were a new grad, I'd do it in a minute," said Sister Purzycki, who is a registered nurse with a doctorate in nursing. "Twenty five thousand dollars is a phenomenal amount of money not to have to pay back. And Kaiser is getting 17 really quality nurses this year and 34 next year.

"So there's no question Kaiser is helping to eliminate the nursing shortage," she stressed. "And they've even set up a mentoring program where one of their staff works with each of the 17 students during the time they're going to school. So it's definitely a good arrangement all around."

'Unbelievably intense'
Sister Purzycki describes the three-semester, 56-hour, May-to-May program as "unbelievably intense." Two days a week are spent at the Mount's Doheny campus near downtown Los Angeles taking classes, with another two or three days every week in local hospitals doing hands-on clinical work.

"I don't know how they do it," she said, shaking her head. "I graduated from the Mount in 1971 in the traditional nursing program, and I thought that was intense. So I give total credit to these people who give up their life. I mean, they have families who support them, because every free moment they're studying or writing papers.

"But they're not shortchanged in any way," she added. "Between 96 and 98 percent pass the registered nursing exam on the first try. And I tell the students, if ever this program wasn't succeeding, I couldn't in justice keep it going. But it has worked and worked and worked."

Maureen Casamiquela, regional manager of professional education and clinical practice for the Kaiser Permanente Southern California region, says the loan forgiveness program is one of the innovative ways the HMO has developed to address the state's nursing shortage, which she calls a "huge crisis."

She points out that California ranks 49th out of 50 states in terms of registered nurses per capita - 585 RNs per 100,000 people compared to the national average of 798 RNs per 100,000. Only Nevada is worse.

But why is Kaiser focusing its nursing effort on Mount St. Mary's?

"The Mount produces an excellent student," Casamiquela said. "This Accelerated BSN program, specifically, is where we're giving our money. But graduates in all four of their nursing programs excel. So we have targeted them.

"And these first 17 accelerated students we're helping, who I've interviewed, have made a very committed decision to choose nursing as a second career. They've usually given up a job and spent a ton of money to go back to school to become a nurse. And that's so exciting.

"They're exceptional students who come from college with excellent GPAs," she said. "They're passionate about being in the program, and they have wonderful leadership skills. So that's why we chose them. They really strive for excellence, and the Mount strives for excellence."

Making a difference
Kasmire Pham, 26, earned a B.A. in accounting, but really wanted to follow in the footsteps of her older sister, a nurse. The Saigon native, who has a grandmother diagnosed with dementia, also found out about the severe shortage of Vietnamese nurses who specialize in psychiatric care.

"So I thought the medical field would be something that I can make a difference in," Pham said, during a brief break between weekday classes. "Before I went into this accelerated program, I actually never knew how busy I could be. It's been challenging. But it's doable. I'm glad I did it, and, hopefully, I'm graduating in May."

At 40, Regina Adad is one of the oldest nursing students in the yearlong program. After being in a car accident and winding up in a trauma center, she witnessed firsthand the daily dedication of nurses.

"You really have to have a lot of dedication and no social life to survive this program," said the mother of two. "There's a lot of reading, and a lot of absorption required.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't have the loan repayment grant from Kaiser. That takes away a lot of worry about how you're going to pay for your education. Plus, I did some research about Kaiser and discovered they have a lot of social responsibility. So I think I'll be compatible working there."

Mary Ahmabian, 26, has a bachelor's degree in anthropology from UCLA. After graduation, at first she thought about applying to medical school. But after getting to know some nurses at a community clinic in South Los Angeles, where she was working, she decided on a different career path in the health field.

"I just fell in love with what they did," Ahmabian said. "Just all the interaction they had with patients, the staff, and how much everyone relies on them. And the more I learned about nursing, the more I fell in love with it."