Rate My Professor Penny Weismuller

Penny Weismuller, DrPH, MSN, RN, serves as Professor (FERP) in the School of Nursing at California State University, Fullerton, where she joined the faculty in August 2004. She previously held the position of Director of the School of Nursing and Coordinator of the Graduate Nursing Programs. Under her leadership, the school's graduate programs achieved top national rankings from U.S. News & World Report, including recognition in 2016 and 2020. The School of Nursing received a $5 million grant from CalOptima Health in 2024 to expand the nursing workforce and promote diversity, with Weismuller noted for her role in advancing these initiatives. She contributed to projects such as the ENGAGE Grant and served as Director of the Southern California DNP Consortium. Weismuller received the DAISY Faculty Award in 2018 and was honored in the CSUF Faculty Recognition Program in 2017 for developing innovative graduate programs and coordinating nursing education efforts.

Weismuller's scholarly contributions focus on nursing education, school health services, and leadership, reflected in her extensive publication record with over 1,200 citations. Key works include 'Concurrent enrollment pathway: A model for ADN-BSN programs' (2023, co-authored with E. Fangonil-Gagalang, G. Weeks, A. Riley), 'Grit Levels of Graduate Nursing Students: Why Grit Is Needed in Nursing' (2022, co-authored with L. Burke, L. Rebeschi), 'Use of Licensed Vocational Nurses in California Schools: A Descriptive Study' (2019), 'Nurse Leader Stories Reveal Themes in US and Cuban Cross-Cultural Experience' (2018, co-authored with B. Quaye), and 'Assessing Clinicians' Endorsement of Patient Activation in Health Management' (2018). Additional publications cover topics such as addressing illness-related chronic absences (2019), depression screening in schools (2017), and moral distress among nurse anesthetists (2015). Her research has influenced nursing practice, education policy, and school health interventions in California.