Terrence and Barbara Caster Institute for Nursing Excellence
Terrence and Barbara Caster Institute for Nursing Excellence
Transforming lives through caring, innovation and leadership.
At Sharp HealthCare, nurses are a diverse team of professionals, working in roles from bedside care to administration. Nurses are the front line of The Sharp Experience and are central to our accomplishments, not only as an organization, but also for the patients and loved ones we care for each and every day.
Recognizing the important role that nurses play in transforming the lives of patients and their families, the Terrence and Barbara Caster Institute for Nursing Excellence was created to provide nurses with resources and opportunities for enhanced collaboration, best-practice sharing and lifelong learning.
Making health care better.
The institute ensures optimal patient outcomes throughout the organization and gives nursing professionals access to unprecedented opportunities for collaboration, community involvement and lifelong learning.
The Caster Nursing Institute aims to advance nursing practice and patient outcomes through four centers of excellence — each with a unique focus.
The Wiesler Center for Professional Growth
The James and Mary Jane Wiesler Center for Professional Growth reflects the value of lifelong learning and provides opportunities for nurses to continually grow and acquire new knowledge and life skills.
We encourage a collaborative environment with state-of-the-art facilities and advanced clinical practices, so you can learn, feel empowered to have a voice and be inspired to follow your passions wherever they take you.
Our initiatives include:
- Philanthropy supported scholarship program
- Pre-licensure (BSN) and advanced nursing degree support (MSN, PhD/DNP)
- Nurse Transition
- NRP Program - ANCC PTAP accreditation with distinction
- Transition in Practice
- Preceptor and mentor programs
- Specialty certification
- Nursing Leader
- Nursing Leadership Academy
- Team Mentoring
- Leaders4Leaders Mentoring
- Career coaching
The Center for Inquiry and Innovation
The Sharp HealthCare Center for Inquiry and Innovation promotes the value of a questioning attitude to advance evidence-based practice, research and innovation.
Our initiatives include:
- Grant writing
- Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN)*
- Doctorally-prepared nurses
- Nurse scientist consultation
- Research grants
- Statistical consultation
- Technology (computers, statistical analysis software)
- Dissemination and spread of projects and studies
*Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN)
The American Academy of Nursing (Academy) serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy through organizational excellence and effective nursing leadership. The Academy and its more than 2,900 members, known as Fellows, create and execute evidence-based and policy-related initiatives to advance health care. Academy Fellows are nursing's most accomplished leaders in education, management, practice, and research. Fellows include association executives; university presidents, chancellors, and deans; state and federal political appointees; hospital chief executives and vice presidents for nursing; journal editors; nurse consultants; researchers; and entrepreneurs. Fellows have been recognized for their international influence and extraordinary nursing careers and are among the nation's most highly-educated citizens: more than 90% hold doctoral degrees and the rest have completed masters programs. Invitation to the fellowship represents more than recognition of one's accomplishments within the nursing profession. Academy Fellows also have a responsibility to contribute their time and energies to the Academy and to engage with other health leaders outside the Academy in transforming health systems by:
- Enhancing the quality of health and nursing care
- Promoting healthy aging and human development across the life continuum
- Reducing health disparities and inequalities
- Shaping healthy behaviors and environments
- Integrating mental and physical health
- Strengthening the nursing and health delivery system, nationally and internationally
Additional information about the Academy can be found here.
Sharp employees Jaynelle F. Stichler and Luc R. Pelletier are Academy Fellows.
The Brown Center for Simulation, Technology and Innovative Learning
The James S. Brown Center for Simulation, Technology and Innovative Learning embraces the value of reflective practice and promotes learning through simulation, technology, and innovative strategies.
Our initiatives include:
- Simulation center and specialists
- Innovative learning
- Outcome evaluation
The Center for Community Engagement
The Center for Community Engagement reflects the value of collaboration and works to advance partnerships and the health of those served in the region.
Our initiatives include:
- Academic service partnerships — Through the Center for Community Engagement, Sharp partners with nursing schools to provide on-site clinical education to nursing students, yielding graduates with top qualifications. In 2021, 1,852 nursing students spent 37,148* hours in Sharp facilities for on-site clinical education.
Sharp has provided learning opportunities for nursing students from the following schools:
*Sharp HealthCare Community Benefit Plan and Report, 2021, p. 19; includes both group and precepted hours- Azuza Pacific University
- UMass Global
- California State University, San Marcos
- Grand Canyon University
- Grossmont College
- National University
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- San Diego State University
- Southwestern College
- University of San Diego
- Western Governors University
- Western University of Health Science
- Community consortia
- Innovative clinical placements and student experiences
- Professional symposiums
- School of nursing advisory boards
- Equity, diversity and inclusion
Supporting San Diego’s nurses.
Through the Caster Nursing Institute, Sharp partners with prestigious nursing schools to provide on-site clinical education to more students, yielding graduates with top qualifications. The institute's Educational Excellence Fund was established to offer scholarships that support continued education and certification classes for Sharp’s nurses, developing future health care leaders, educators, researchers and policy makers.
How you can help.
To support the Caster Nursing Institute through Sharp HealthCare Foundation, you can donate now or send us an email.
Read our Voice of Nursing newsletters.
Contact us.
Laurie Ecoff, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNL
Vice President, Caster Nursing Institute
8695 Spectrum Center Blvd., San Diego, CA 92123
laurie.ecoff@sharp.com
Karen Flowers
Administrative Assistant
karen.flowers@sharp.com
Interoffice mail
Caster Nursing Institute, 8695 Spectrum Center Blvd.
Learn more about our nurses.
Number of nursing scholarships awarded hits all-time high
The first Del Corazon First Generation Nursing Scholarships were awarded to two Sharp employees.
Sharp ERs celebrate regionwide “senior-friendly” status
Sharp’s four ERs and all others in San Diego received “senior-friendly” accreditation.
