The Arthur T. Esslinger Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota has donated $2,284 in an immediate impact grant to allow the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) to purchase Otoscopes/Ophthalmoscope Diagnostic Kits that will allow nursing students to master skills of patient physical assessments for Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) and eye ailments. The new kits will be available to students, faculty and lab personnel at the SCF Lakewood Ranch Nursing Simulation Center.
These diagnostic kits are critical tools. They enable nurses to perform efficient exams and accurate assessments for a full range of patient conditions from runny noses and sore throats to diabetes and hypertension. BSN nursing students will actively practice ENT and eye assessments using these kits in real-life teaching scenarios. The kits also will help BSN nursing students gain skills in using clinical reasoning.
The college has 14 kits for more than 90 students who need access to them this semester. The grant will help SCF purchase an additional four kits. Training on the kits will have an immediate impact on the quality of nurse preparation as SCF graduates begin clinical training. Most of our nursing graduates stay in the area upon graduation working in our local hospitals, medical offices and nursing homes.
To help purchase equipment for any of SCF’s programs, contact Barbara Bourgoin at bourbob@SCF.edu or call 941-752-5398.
