Fargo, North Dakota – The North Dakota State University School of Nursing has been deemed a primary Cadet Command Nursing Center of Excellence by the Army ROTC program. This Nursing Center of Excellence designation gives priority of nursing scholarships from U.S. Army Cadet Command to students in the NDSU program.
Research states that nursing cadets are more successful at completing both ROTC and nursing school when they advance through the program with a group of nurses, versus going the course alone, according to Capt. Josette M. Gamba, the Nurse Counselor of the Third ROTC Brigade. In an effort to maximize success of nursing cadets, the Third Brigade has identified 11 primary Centers of Excellence (COE) including NDSU’s School of Nursing.
“The most important contributor we took into consideration for choosing a Nursing Center of Excellence was the relationship the ROTC program has with their school,” said Gamba. “Both ROTC and nursing school are extremely demanding programs of study. The two curriculums must be readily compatible for a nurse to successfully complete both.”
Cadet Command scrutinized the quality of the nursing school by examining NCLEX pass rates, accreditation, cumulative GPAs at graduation and classroom versus clinical experience.
“This is a great opportunity not only to recruit the best prospects, but to help them partner with other students to improve their learning experience, and improve their retention,” said Lt. Col. Ted M. Preister, Army ROTC professor of Military Science and leader of the Bison Battalion at NDSU. “Marked synergy can be derived from the partnership between the School of Nursing and the Department of Military Science.”
“We are honored to receive this primary Nursing Center of Excellence designation from the Army ROTC program,” said Carla Gross, associate dean of the NDSU School of Nursing. “Faculty, staff, students and clinical training partners all contribute to our ability to provide a rigorous and highly-respected program to prepare future nurses for careers in health care.”
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