The innovative teaching of effective medication administration is crucial in today’s healthcare climate. Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb New Jersey Community Grants Program, the University’s Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN Program students will be able to prevent medication errors and improve patient safety and care.

The funding will be used to purchase the Omnicell Half-Cell Automated Dispensing Cabinet System, an integrated, advanced medication dispensing system to be used at the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and incorporated into the Program’s curriculum. The new system, together with medication administration simulations, will serve as valuable curriculum components for BSN students in the School’s nursing simulation laboratory environment.

Two of the University’s Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN Program students work to provide care to one of three of the Program’s patient simulators, Bristol, who was also funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

“A nurse’s role in medication administration is particularly challenging given today’s healthcare environment,” said Dr. Filomela Marshall, dean of the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing at the University. “The medication administration scenarios used with the dispensing system cabinet will assist in reinforcing students’ knowledge while refining their confidence levels by increasing medication competency and improving overall patient safety.”

The School’s educators and simulation laboratory staff create challenging healthcare scenarios that will help students develop and practice medication administration in a safe, controlled environment without fear of doing harm to real patients. The program will serve as an important enhancement to the already high-quality education that students now receive.

“Bristol-Myers Squibb supports education at all levels and we are delighted to provide funding for this innovative teaching tool that will help train nursing students at Thomas Edison State University,” said Julie Hambleton, head of US Medical at Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We believe hands-on learning experiences, particularly in medicine dispensing; will contribute to the development of highly skilled medical professionals of the future.”