Natalie Cheffer

Dr. Natalie Cheffer is a Professor and Assistant Chair of the Graduate Program & PNP Program Coordinator at the School of Nursing, California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). She has been teaching since 1993, specializing in pediatric nursing, health assessment, and nurse practitioner education. Her roles include coordinating the pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) program and supervising clinical practicums in school-based mobile clinics.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, University of San Diego
• Master of Nursing & Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certificate, UCLA
• Bachelor of Science (Nursing & Health Science), CSULB

Research & Practice Focus:

• Pediatric primary care and mental health
• School-based health care delivery systems
• Healthcare access for underserved populations
• Clinical simulation training for nurse practitioners

Grants & Awards:

• Led $70,000 LA-Care grant (2019–2021) for Health on Wheels school-based clinic in Norwalk-La Mirada
• Recipient of multiple CSULB Alumni Grants for clinical simulation tools ($5,705 in 2019; $5,902 in 2014)
• Arnold P. Gold Foundation-funded White Coat Ceremony program for BSN students (2017–2018)
• Leadership Fellowships: AANP Leadership Program (2017–2018) and CSULB Leadership Fellows Program (2015–2017)

Advocacy & Innovation:

• Co-developed Song Brown Grant ($150,000) to increase FNP graduates in underserved areas
• Managed pediatric nurse practitioner faculty grants ($50,000 annually) to support clinical training

Labs & Programs: Core contributor to the Health on Wheels mobile clinic program, providing care to uninsured children while training NP students. Active in developing simulation-based educational tools for acute care nurse practitioners.