Loyola University Chicago

Department of Military Science

Army Nursing Program

ROTC is set up with academic requirements like any other college level course. Yet the ROTC classroom is not bound by four walls and a ceiling. Just as you are not trained to be a nurse by merely sitting in a chair, the ROTC program will not equip you to lead people and conquer problems by passively absorbing instruction. You have the opportunity to get out and implement the things you learn, in a dynamic environment.

Registered Nurses are expected to be leaders in nursing from their first day on the job. Yet if you have never been trained to lead, how are you to accomplish this? In ROTC, you are equipped with the skills to make an educated decision and implement the necessary actions to accomplish a goal or objective. You are shown how to be part of the solution and not a contributor to the problem.

Now you may wonder, and rightly so, how does making a decision in the woods, transition to making a decision in the clinical setting? That is a good question. The answer is this: Decision making is the point of commonality. In the clinical setting, you need to make a sound decision in order to prevent harm to your patients. You need to use the training you receive to implement early interventions and avert escalating problems. Leadership skills are not bound to a particular job. But how do you get these skills? Few people are born to lead. The majority are trained. This is the value of ROTC; world-class leadership training that equips today’s leaders for the challenges of tomorrow.

The ROTC program will lay the ground work for you to easily work in a variety of environments and in a number of different roles. The ability to adjust to change is a key component employers seek as they sort through numerous applications for employment and it may just be the discriminator between you and the other equally-qualified nurse.

Additionally, nursing students who are also Army ROTC Cadets have an opportunity for a unique summer nursing experience. The paid, three-week Nurse Summer Training Program assigns Cadets to Army hospitals throughout the U.S., Korea and Germany. The program introduces you to the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) and to the roles and responsibilities of an Army Nurse Corps Officer. Under the supervision of an experienced Army Nurse Corps Officer, you will obtain hands-on experience. Your one-on-one clinical experience will allow you to hone your clinical skills, develop your problem-solving techniques and become comfortable with developing your professional skills as a member of the U.S. Army Healthcare .

  http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/courses-and-colleges/programs/nursing.html