by Sarah Mummert, Student Public Relations Writer
Nursing students at Cedarville University are trained to treat injuries, save lives, and care for people in their nursing careers.
This training includes the use of medical grade equipment, much like the stretcher that was recently donated by the Jefferson Township Fire Department in Jeffersonville, Ohio. As a result of the donation, Cedarville nursing students will be better prepared to serve people — starting at their first day on the job.
The Cedarville University School of Nursing has used a stretcher in classroom simulations for many years. But with more students pursuing a degree in nursing at Cedarville, the expanding program needed to upgrade some of its teaching tools. Having the newly donated stretcher is a valuable addition to the program.
Dr. Angie Mickle, dean of the school of nursing at Cedarville University, worked as an EMS coordinator at Greene Memorial before coming to Cedarville. Her connections in this role have led to the valuable partnership with the Jefferson Township Fire Department and various community healthcare leaders.
When Mickle reached out to the department about a spare stretcher, they decided to donate it to the school.
“It was well worth it to us to donate the stretcher to Cedarville University,” said Bill Glispie, the fire chief at the Jefferson Township Fire Department. “It’s a pay it forward, if you will. We’re basically neighbors, and the experience students gain could benefit our community in the future. It’s like helping Cedarville students help others.”
Simulations in the classroom give students valuable experience in a safe learning environment. The courses that use a stretcher are Complex Care and Behavioral Health. Depending on the course, the instructor fills the stretcher with a crisis manikin or hires a live actor to play the role of a standardized patient.
Though no longer within code for use in an ambulance in the field, this retired stretcher will begin a new life training the next generation of health care providers.
"We’re just so grateful for the donation,” Mickle said. “It’s going to help us train thousands of nursing students in future simulations.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is a Baptist university with undergraduate programs in arts, sciences, and professional programs, and graduate programs. With an enrollment of 6,384 students in 175 areas of study, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio and is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.), and high graduation and retention rates. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.