NSME new faculty: Ernesto Hernandez

Department of Nursing

By California State University, Bakersfield

August 23^rd, 2021

Growing up in the small town of Earlimart, Ernesto Hernandez knew education would be the key to broadening his horizons. After graduating from Delano High School, he attended Bakersfield College to become a registered nurse and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in nursing from CSUB. He worked in mental health for more than five years and recently graduated from Walden University’s psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program.

Hernandez, who is also involved with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will be teaching a variety of nursing courses, including a class and clinicals on mental health nursing.

“I have a strong passion for education, mental health and helping the underserved,” Hernandez said. “I am researching barriers to access to mental health services and what I can do as an agent of social change to help people in the community who suffer from a mental illness. I want to use the education that I obtained in graduate school to help give nursing students the skills and knowledge required to care for mental health patients.”

Hernandez credits his parents’ hard work and support for his success throughout school and beyond. His wife, Donnalyn, and their son, Demetrio, are also big motivators for Hernandez. In his free time, Hernandez enjoys playing basketball and football, traveling, running and spending time with his family and friends.

Previously a clinical lecturer at CSUB, Hernandez is excited to join the nursing department full-time this year. He knows the faculty and staff are dedicated to excellence and providing the best to their students.

“Educators are in a special position,” Hernandez said. “They have the privilege of educating the future of our nation. I take my role here at CSUB very seriously, and I will do everything to help my students succeed, not only in academics but also in anything that they set their mind to. This job is not just about clocking in and out. It’s about having an impact in the lives of our students in hopes that they would go on and do the same for somebody else, just like my professors did for me in school.”