Saint Mary’s College partners with Beacon Health System for enhanced nursing clinical education collaboration

Saint Mary’s College and Beacon Health Systems have come together for a new mutually beneficial agreement that will provide Beacon Health Systems with additional training spaces and give Saint Mary’s College faculty the ability to sit in on these training sessions for the purpose of their own continued education.

According to an article on Saint Mary’s College’s website, Dani Edson, DNP, AGACNP-BC, CCRN, who is both an associate clinical professor and the director of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program at Saint Mary’s College, was quoted as saying, “Given Beacon's reputation for excellence in healthcare delivery and its commitment to innovation, a deepened partnership between our institutions could benefit our community and regional healthcare. By leveraging the Saint Mary’s SIM lab facilities, Beacon can enhance the training and skill development of its staff, ensuring that they are equipped with the latest knowledge and expertise to deliver high-quality patient care.” 

The agreement allows Beacon Health to make use of Saint Mary’s new simulation lab, which opened in the Center for Integrated Healthcare Education in Regina Hall toward the end of 2021. The SIM Lab has manikins, simulated observation rooms, classrooms, and realistic clinical exam rooms. Beacon Health can use this recently acquired technology to train its own residents, doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.

Edson noted that the agreement states Saint Mary’s faculty from the Department of Nursing Science are welcome to take part in or observe these training sessions for their own education, as long as space allows. Beacon Health also has the ability to bring nursing students from Saint Mary’s into the training sessions, as well.

For more information about Saint Mary’s College, visit the school’s website.