SCF earns grant to help nursing program

BRADENTON -- A $4,300 grant earned by the State College of Florida Foundation will help create a new medical dispensing tower to benefit nursing students.

The $4,310 grant came from the Community Foundation of Sarasota's Edward K. Roberts Emerging Needs Fund and will help create a new medical dispensing tower for the Medical Technology and Simulation Center at SCF Lakewood Ranch.

"On behalf of the SCF Foundation, we thank the Community Foundation of Sarasota County for its foresight in encouraging safe medication practices for students early in the program to prepare future nurses who will provide quality health care to residents in the region," Cassandra Holmes, executive director of the SCF Foundation said in a statement.

Students using the medical dispensing tower will learn safe procedures for administering the prescribed medication in the proper dosage and at the right time on equipment used in a hospital setting, according to officials.

The equipment is the second tower at the MTSC's Intensive Care Unit, which also features patient simulators, electronic medical records, a nurse call system and drug recognition system. The risk-free, controlled, simulated environment provides SCF nursing students with opportunities to participate in collaborative training exercises in preparation for clinical practice.

This story was originally published November 27, 2015 at 12:06 PM with the headline "SCF earns grant to help nursing program ."