Vision, Mission & Strategic Plan

Vision

The UCLA School of Nursing will lead and transform nursing science, how nursing is taught, and practiced.

Mission

The mission of the UCLA School of Nursing is to improve the health, wellness, quality of life and nursing care of the people of California, the nation, and the world through education, research, nursing care, and community engagement.

Core Values

The fundamental principles that guide all of our education, research, and practice include:

  • Excellence: we continually strive for excellence.
  • Innovation: we value creativity and imagination.
  • Collaborative professional culture of diversity, equity and inclusion: we value a culture of inclusiveness, mutual respect and justice.

Five pillars of excellence for the Strategic Plan include: Academic Programs; Research and Scholarship; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI); Community Engagement, and sustainability. These pillars are interlinked with one another, and do not stand in isolation. DEI strategies support excellence across all other pillars. In keeping with the campus strategic planning efforts to insure a focus on Institutional Effectiveness, a summary of administrative strategic goals and efforts that have been underway in the SON are included in the Appendices.

The goal of each pillar includes specific recommendations for objectives along with key strategies/actions and metrics with target dates for evaluation to accomplish these objectives for the four-year time period.

Pillars + Goals

Academic Programs

Goal: To create and sustain educational programs to prepare the next generation of nursing leaders and scholars to provide outstanding nursing care, conduct and disseminate state-of-the-art research and scholarship, and promote interprofessional healthcare delivery.

  1. Transition 2-year APRN MS program to 3-year APRN DNP curriculum.
  2. Create new revenue generating entrepreneurial programs.
  3. Increase practice opportunities for students at UCLA Health (in-patient and primary care). and at the Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System.
  4. Enhance innovative instructional approaches and content within courses to integrate pandemics, social determinants of health, and DEI (e.g. racism, social justice, gender bias)
  5. Implement faculty teaching evaluation.
  6. Expand recruitment strategies to increase enrollment in the PhD program.
  7. Develop a series of Preparatory Accelerated Learning Space (PALS) coaching seminars designed to support incoming students’ academic success, as budget permits.

Research and Scholarship

Goal: To prioritize research in biobehavioral science, population science and health systems science to promote health, advance nursing care and reduce health disparities by translating knowledge into policy and practice.

  1. To prioritize research in biobehavioral science, population science and health systems science to promote health, advance nursing care and reduce health disparities by translating knowledge into policy and practice.
  2. Increase opportunities for undergraduate and graduate student participation in research.
  3. Increase the number of externally funded grants by 25%.
  4. Develop a model for supporting faculty research through skills training and grant support.
  5. Increase the collaboration between SON nurse researchers and UCLA HEALTH Nurse researchers.
  6. Integrate diverse populations in clinical and community engaged research studies.
  7. Integrate the measurement of social and structural determinants of health with a goal of providing new knowledge of health disparities and designing interventions to reduce disparities.
  8. Increase usable basic and clinical laboratory space for faculty.

Community Engagement

Goal: To establish community partnerships that promote multidisciplinary collaborations for addressing the social, biological, and cultural determinants of health.

  1. Expand collaborations with community partners to increase opportunities for students’ experiences and research, outreach activities, community engagement, and funding for projects to improve community health. 
  2. Facilitate students and faculty conducting research with community partners, in line with Community Partnered Action-based Research guidelines/principles.
  3. Identify opportunities for faculty to contribute to national health policy based on the consideration of Social Determinants of Health.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Goal: To promote excellence in nursing education and research by creating a sustainable culture of mutual understanding and respect for the culturally diverse individuals, families and populations as well as those living with disability.

  1. Implement ongoing training on diversity and implicit bias.
  2. Implement efforts to increase the recruitment, hiring, and promotion of diverse faculty, staff and post-doctoral fellows.
  3. Increase retention of outstanding faculty who mirror the population of California.
  4.  Create a pathway for underrepresented student populations to the BS, MECN, APRN and DNP/PhD programs.

Sustainability

Goal: To foster sustainability and carbon neutrality in the scholarship and practice of professional nursing through awareness, education and research, and role-modeling the operations of the School.

  1. Create a culture of sustainability and green programs through awareness in partnership with UC/UCLA resources.
  2. Create a culture of sustainability through education.
  3. Commit to improve public health outcomes, to reduce waste, and foster mindful consumption.
  4. Incorporate climate change and sustainability health impacts into existing and new research.

Strategic Plan

The School of Nursing strategic plan will serve as a road map for the faculty and staff over the next four years. With UCLA as the top public university in the world and with a premier Magnet-designated academic health center as a clinical partner, the School of Nursing (SON) has the opportunity to lead in academics, research, and service. In 2021, the SON is rated #16,  #7 among public schools of nursing, the 2nd in the state and the 27th worldwide. Among 800 schools of nursing, UCLA is ranked #20 in NIH funding. Given our location in Los Angeles, one of the most diverse global cities in the World, and in the State of California, the School also has the opportunity to lead with excellence while promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, community engagement, and sustainability. One of four schools of nursing within the University of California, the UCLA SON offers students opportunities to become nursing leaders who address critical health issues and health care, and reduce inequities and disparities in health through prelicensure (baccalaureate, Master’s Entry into Clinical Nursing) and graduate nursing programs (Master’s Advanced Practice Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, PhD). The SON is a partner in the UCLA National Clinician Scholars program, one of six Universities in the nation, that provide post-doctoral program for physicians and nurses focused on health services and health disparities through community engagement.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on nursing and nursing education and has influenced our strategic planning and implementation efforts. The impact of the pandemic on academic women has be recognized. As the SON is a predominately female faculty, the impact has been significant. However, the School has continued to excel by graduating much needed nurses and nurse leaders, continuing to contribute to the scientific contributions, and address the health needs of the community.  The school’s partnership with UCLA Health Nursing, with the Greater Los Angeles VA, and with other community partners was critical and solidifies a foundation for future partnerships.

View the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan