SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital is in the process of donating 39 gently used patient beds to Moraine Park Technical College and Marian University for use in training nursing students. Both nursing programs combine theory, lab practicum, simulation, and clinical instruction, and allow students the opportunity to prepare students for a career in nursing.
“As we face the many challenges in health care staffing, we are looking for creative solutions to strengthen partnerships with our local academic partners,” according to Tami Schattschneider, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital VP Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer. “Helping to support each of these schools is one of the steps we are taking to help relieve the nursing shortage and help qualified applicants at our local schools.”
For Moraine Park Technical College, the donations are coming at the ideal time, according to Katie Hughes DNP, RN, Associate Dean of Health, Moraine Park Technical College.
“The Health and Human Services wing at the Fond du Lac campus is preparing for a comprehensive renovation and expansion, funded in part by a recent referendum. Construction on this project is scheduled to begin this fall,” Hughes says. “As part of our strategic planning, we conducted a detailed room-by-room assessment of all HHS programs – including Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, Respiratory Therapy, Radiography, and Emergency Services. The demand for additional beds was significant.
“Thanks to this generous donation, we can reallocate referendum funds toward essential equipment such as advanced simulators and furnishings that replicate real patient care environments,” Hughes adds. “This also enables us to equip the new nursing skills lab with more beds, allowing two students to train per bed instead of four. The result is a more immersive, hands-on learning experience for our health programs students. By enhancing our facilities, we are creating realistic clinical settings that closely mirror what our graduates will encounter in the field.”
For Marian University, the donated beds will “have a profound impact on our nursing program and how we plan to utilize them,” according to Dr. Cheryl K. Seelig, DHA, RN, MSN, Marian University Associate Dean and Chief Nursing Administrator.
“This generous donation significantly enhances our ability to provide cutting-edge, hands-on training for our nursing students,” Dr. Seelig shares. “We will be primarily utilizing these beds within our simulation labs and skills development centers. This allows students to gain invaluable practical experience in a safe and controlled environment before transitioning to clinical settings. They can practice patient assessments, transfers, repositioning, and various nursing interventions on high-fidelity equipment that accurately mimics real-world hospital beds.”
Marian University’s nursing program students will benefit from enhanced realism in training, increased capacity for hands-on learning, improved patient safety outcomes, top talent attraction and recruitment, and interprofessional collaboration.
“This donation is more than just new equipment,” Dr. Seelig says. “It’s an investment in the future of health care. It allows Marian University to continue forming highly skilled, compassionate, and ethically grounded nursing professionals who are prepared to meet the evolving demands of the health care landscape and serve our communities with distinction, reflecting our Catholic mission of service and care for the human person.”
