FORT MONROE, Va.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Sep 15, 2004--Medical-surgical nurse Capt. Nicole Candy is particularly enthusiastic about her job. The 27-year-old Villanova nursing graduate and Army ROTC scholarship recipient serves as preceptor and student mentor in the highly-competitive ROTC Nurse Summer Training Program (NSTP), lending her enthusiasm and professional expertise to college nursing students.
Last summer, 165 Army ROTC nursing cadets from around the country were selected to take part in NSTP, a paid three- to four-week clinical elective course offered to nursing cadets between their junior and senior years of college. At NSTP, students receive genuine hands-on clinical experience under the direct supervision of an Army Nurse Corps officer like Candy. Unlike common clinical nursing opportunities at the college level, where an entire class might observe a single instructor, cadets at NSTP receive one-on-one attention from a single preceptor during their entire experience at NSTP where they follow, experience and assist in the day-to-day life of a nurse in the Army Nurse Corps.
''NSTP is the best clinical experience a student can ever have through college,'' said Candy. ''Since NSTP cadets practice under their preceptor`s license, they are allowed to do procedures they can`t do in college, from patient assessment to drawing blood and caring for wounds.''
NSTP is usually the first time students have the opportunity to practice hands on procedures, such as drawing blood, or administering medication or starting an IV.
''Nursing students who come back from NSTP for their senior years are so confident and excited about nursing,'' said Col. Elizabeth Bryant, Chief Nurse, U.S. Army Cadet Command. ''Their professors say that cadets are much more prepared and confident than other civilian students after an experience at NSTP.''
Cadets also learn that as a nurse and an officer in the Army, they will have the opportunity to explore different areas of nursing and have ample options to diversify their career experiences. In addition, NSTP provides nursing students an opportunity to practice leadership skills in an environment of respect and teamwork.
Army hospitals in the U.S. and Germany host NSTP sessions each summer. To be eligible, a student must be an Army ROTC cadet between their junior and senior years of a nursing program. Placement is also based on grade point average and physical fitness proficiency.
''In college, students can`t do anything invasive, but in NSTP, cadets go in and do everything with the one-on-one supervision of their preceptors,'' said Candy. ''Since the Army encourages nurses to explore different specialties and interests, cadets learn firsthand that being an Army nurse never gets boring. This is not your grandmother`s nursing.''
Taking part in NSTP is only one of the many advantages to enrolling in ROTC as a nursing student. Approximately 90 percent of all ROTC nursing cadets are scholarship recipients, including four-year, three-year and two-year scholarships worth up to $17,000 a year for tuition and academic fees. In addition, ROTC nursing cadets may be eligible for cash bonuses when they enter their junior year of nursing and after they graduate, receive a commission in the Army Nurse Corps and pass the National Council of State Board of Nursing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
Army ROTC classes are available on 272 campuses around the nation. Additionally, students from hundreds of other campuses may participate in classes by traveling to nearby campuses where the program is offered.
For details on NSTP and Army ROTC, go to www.ArmyROTC.com.
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