Former SEMO professor’s organ donation program reaches 5,000 nursing students nationwide
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — A national online education program created by former Southeast Missouri State University nursing professor Dr. Linda Heitman has now reached more than 5,000 nursing students across the country, expanding its impact on organ and tissue donation training.
The program began in 2017 after Mid-America Transplant announced grant opportunities related to organ and tissue donation. Noticing a nationwide gap in nursing curricula, Heitman proposed an online learning platform that would prepare nursing students for their role in the donation and transplantation process.
The program launched in spring 2019 as a pilot in Heitman’s “Introduction to Critical Care” course at SEMO. Funded by Mid-America Transplant, the platform includes five modules with narrative content, quizzes, videos, interviews, discussion forums and completion certificates. Topics include organ and tissue donation, the nurse’s responsibilities, and family support and aftercare.
“While advances in medicine have changed many aspects of donation, one thing remains the same — it begins with the nurse,” said Kevin Lee, CEO of Mid-America Transplant. “Dr. Heitman recognized this need and helped create the nation’s first online learning module focused on educating future nurses about the donation process.”
By early 2023, the program had reached more than 3,000 students at 12 institutions. Its reach has since grown to more than 5,000 participants.
Dr. Lisa Job, SEMO assistant professor of nursing, praised the platform for providing evidence-based education that prepares students to care for potential donors and their families.
Heitman, a graduate of the Goldfarb School of Nursing, SEMO and Saint Louis University, began her career in critical care at Southeast Hospital and later served on the Mid-America Transplant Professional Advisory Board. She joined SEMO’s faculty in 1998 and now serves as nursing education advisor for Mid-America Transplant.
“Surpassing 5,000 participants underscores the real-world impact of Dr. Heitman’s vision and the power of collaborative innovation,” said Dr. Doug Koch, SEMO interim vice provost. “We couldn’t be prouder of the lives already touched — and those yet to be saved.”
Heitman credited the collaboration between SEMO and Mid-America Transplant for the program’s success.
“Any individual who plays a role in this platform — faculty, students, staff, IT — stands at the bedside of every transplant recipient,” she said.
SEMO continues to promote organ donation education as part of its broader commitment to preparing compassionate, well-trained nurses.
