Wright State nursing students donate hospital beds with influx of patients expected mid-May

The Wright State University Lake Campus has loaned their patient beds, used as a nursing student teaching aids, to a local hospital as they handle an influx of patients with the spread of COVID-19.

The beds were transported April 1 to Mercer Health in Coldwater. Celina Moving and Storage donated their time, labor, truck and fuel to transport the beds.

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Lynn Franck, clinical instructor and director of the Lake Campus nursing program, said Mercer Health has been a key contributor to the program.

"They have graciously donated beds, equipment and supplies as well as provided substantial financial support to the program," said Franck in a written statement. "It is such a good feeling to be able to reciprocate a good deed back to Mercer Health in a time of need and continue to work with them in community partnership."

Ohio hospitals are expected to receive 6,000 to 8,000 new cases a day when the coronavirus pandemic peaks across the state in mid-May.

Nursing students will be on the front lines soon, joining the health care workers they’ve been aiding through donation.

Wright State largest class ever of nursing students, who graduate in May, will be able to start work with temporary licenses -- without having to wait for the Ohio Board of Nursing testing centers to reopen.

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College of Nursing and Health students last week donated more than 250 boxes of surgical masks, gowns, gloves to help protect health care workers.

The Criminal Justice Police Academy too, will donate 1,500 pairs of gloves to the hospital and an additional 500 gloves to the Wapokoneta Police Department.

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