by Kelly Rogge, KCKCC
A recent donation to the Kansas City Kansas Community College Nursing Department is expected to affect more than 300 students each year in four different programs, while also giving students an opportunity to learn hands-on training.
Olathe Medical Center donated 13 Stryker 2 hospital beds earlier this month to the department.
“The beds are absolutely fabulous, a huge upgrade for us,” said Susan Andersen, interim director of nursing at KCKCC. “The labs look so modern now.”
Through the donation, KCKCC is able to update beds in the Simulation Center, Fundamentals/CNA/LPN/PTA Lab and the Lifespan Lab, where the department has its mother-baby simulations. Andersen said these beds will make it possible for faculty members to familiarize students with the modern bed technology they will encounter in the clinical setting so that they can be better prepared to utilize the equipment and technology. Programs that will benefit from the donation include the Associate Degree in Nursing, Licensed Practical Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant programs.
“After installing new beds at Olathe Medical Center, we were very pleased that the company from which we purchased the beds was able to find this great use for some of the old equipment,” said Mike Jensen, Olathe Health spokesperson. “We are always happy to contribute toward nursing education in any way we can.”
CNA students are currently working with the new beds during the summer session. Andersen said they are “really excited to work with the new technology” as it will help them learn how to use the bed alarm feature to prevent falls and how to weigh a patient while still in the bed.
“These beds help faculty to create very realistic settings for simulated learning experiences for our students,” Andersen said. “They are a huge improvement over what we had in place. It enables us to teach students using the equipment they will actually encounter in the clinical setting.”
The beds that were replaced will be donated to an area charity organization. Individuals largely responsible for the donation include Dee Saggars, vice president of nursing at Olathe Medical Center; Greg Mitchell, supply chain manager at Olathe Medical Center and the KCKCC Buildings and Grounds crews who assisted in coordinating the effort to move the new beds into the building and removing the old beds.
