MARQUETTE — Through gifts from private donors, Northern Michigan University’s School of Nursing has acquired more advanced equipment that enhances student learning and safety while providing better career preparation for the equipment they will work with after graduation.

The $50,000 in purchases include new long-term beds similar to those used in extended care facilities, new medical/surgical beds seen in hospital settings, tables that allow more flexible classroom configurations and IV and urinary catheter models to practice on before dealing with actual patients in a clinical setting.

“Beds are really expensive. We had ours long enough that the wheels and brakes weren’t always functioning correctly, which became a safety issue and made it hard for students to practice things such as transfers and bed baths,” said School of Nursing Director Katie Menard. “The technology for IV models has advanced to the point the arm now feels very much like skin and the vein feels very much like a vein when you’re palpating it. Students get nervous about their skills related to both IVs and catheters, so to increase their competency in both before they enter the clinical setting, we acquired more realistic models. We didn’t have the funds to purchase all of this equipment, so none of this would have been possible without donor support.”

“It’s been such a privilege to receive an education at Northern, and I’ve appreciated the nursing program’s focus on developing hands-on skills,” said Suzanna Guinn of Marquette, a December 2024 graduate. “We tremendously appreciate the support of the private donors. Learning on cutting-edge equipment gives us confidence going into the real setting, knowing we’ve done it before. We have entire rooms in our [simulation] lab that have been so generously gifted over the years by certain donors and organizations, and these latest additions make us feel very well-supported and demonstrate that what we’re doing is important.”

NMU alumni Brendan and Sara Franklin make annual contributions to the School of Nursing, and are among multiple donors who made the recent equipment purchases possible. The married couple met soon after arriving on campus as freshmen, lived in the same residence hall and were enrolled together in nursing pre-requisite courses.

Both graduated with BSNs in 2013 and currently work at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. Brendan serves as director of nursing for the Critical Care Services & Comprehensive Stroke Center. Sara serves as a patient care coordinator and received the medical center’s Outstanding Patient Care Coordinator award for 2023.

“We both have credited our nursing program for setting us up for success and really making us prepared to enter the nursing profession–and later handling a pandemic,” they said. “NMU School of Nursing is a special program; it is a family, and we owe a lot back to the faculty and staff who made us who we are today. Nursing is in high demand right now, and nurses need to be adequately prepared to enter the constantly changing healthcare climate. It is our hope that our annual donations to the NMU School of Nursing will help to continue to enhance the technology, the offerings, and the opportunities for nursing students.”

For more information on NMU’s School of Nursing, visit nmu.edu/nursing. Learn more about giving opportunities through the NMU Foundation at foundation.nmu.edu.