After being laid off from her job as a network-programming engineer, Jennifer Imbag asked God what she should do with her life. One night soon afterward, she dreamed she was in a white coat in a white room. Not yet understanding what the dream meant, she continued on the search for her next step, only to have the message made clearer by a fortune cookie that read, “You could prosper in the field of medicine.”
After a few nudges, Imbag found herself enrolled in nursing school. “It’s more of a calling for me,” she said.
Over a year later, on Oct. 21, 2009, Imbag stood before an overflow crowd of family and friends, honored as both the valedictorian and Florence Nightingale Award-winner of the second graduating class of the Annenberg School of Nursing. With nearly 1,700 classroom and clinical hours behind them, Imbag and the 17 other graduates are now prepared to take their examinations to become licensed vocational nurses.
The Annenberg School of Nursing is located at the Los Angeles Jewish Home in Reseda, which sets it apart from most other nursing schools. Students get hands-on experience on site and most go on to work at least part time at the home after graduation. Last year’s class of 14 are all currently working at the Jewish Home.
In a country desperately trying to find its way out of a nursing shortage, the Jewish Home saw what they considered a unique opportunity. “We had been wanting to start a nursing school here. Because of the shortage, it’s not only difficult to find a nurse, but sometimes they aren’t doing things the way you want them to be done,” said Molly Forrest, the Jewish Home’s president and CEO.
The arrangement seems to be working for all involved, including the residents at the Jewish Home, several of whom attended the recent graduation ceremony with looks of pride on their faces.
“[The Annenberg school] has improved the caliber of nurses overall,” Forrest said, “and our staff who work at the Jewish home, many of them see this as a career path and opportunity that we are providing them. For us it’s a win-win.”
Imbag said her first patient lived at the Jewish Home, and she thanked the resident during her valedictorian speech, choking back tears as she recalled the woman’s words of wisdom and encouragement.
Students of the 48-week program attend classes for approximately six hours per day and participate in a clinical rotation supervised by one of the three school faculty members: Marie Fagan, Annenberg director; Karol Stein, assistant director; and instructor David Cooper. Clinical hours are completed not just at the Jewish Home, but also at local area facilities, including Mission Community Hospital, Encino Hospital, Valley Presbyterian Hospital and New Start Home Healthcare.
Throughout, students work together to help one another succeed. “They’re loving and supportive,” Fagan said, “and they work very collaboratively. When one fell down, they all rallied around.” This group cohesion was visible on graduation day to residents and passersby who could barely navigate around all the commemorative photos being taken.
Class president Nancy Franenberg sought out the Annenberg school after someone suggested it to her while she was at a doctor’s appointment with her mother. “The instructors are top notch; it’s unbelievable,” she said.
Tuition is just under $20,000, but every one of the graduates had received some form of financial aid. “We wanted to target this program to students who would consider a career in nursing and also consider it an opportunity for financial security,” Forrest said.
Some students used the Jewish Home’s forgivable loans, the terms of which stipulate that for every six months the licensed vocational nurse works for the home, $2,500 of their student loan is forgiven. Other students have interest-free loans or other scholarships, and the funding from the Jewish Home itself has been made possible by donations from UniHealth Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation and private donors.
For more information or to sponsor a student, visit the Jewish Home Web site at jha.org, or call the Annenberg School at (818) 774-3077.
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