The Nurse Summer Training Program (NSTP) is a 29-day clinical internship designed to provide Reserve Officer Training Corps Nursing students an opportunity at an authentic, first-look into the lives of Active-Duty Army Nurse Corps officers. The Cadets are assigned to a military treatment facility (MTF) and precepted by an Army Nurse officer. They are introduced to the duties, roles, responsibilities and expectations of an officer and given the opportunity to provide hands-on nursing care in a variety of patient settings. For most Cadets, their nursing internship is preceded by the physically and mentally demanding 35-day Cadet Summer Training event. NSTP provides the ROTC nurse cadets the opportunity to coalesce the leadership lessons learned from CST into the hospital setting. 

“The NSTP internship value is vital for nursing Cadets in that it teaches us what is expected when we commission and enter into the United States Army. Any Lieutenant I was able to work with showed me their passion for Army nursing, and provided insight on what my future could look like. Without it, I would not have had the same passion for the profession I do now, and I would not be as excited to commission in a year,” shared Cadet Priscilla Wright from the University of Minnesota. 

While at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the NSTP Cadets were able to get more than just clinical immersion. At Womack Army Medical Center, each Cadet followed a curated, preceptor-led schedule based on their preferences and career goals. Maximizing the Cadets’ experience could not have been achieved without the tireless effort of the NSTP assistant coordinators, 1st Lt. Keely Aliseo and 1st Lt. Kathryn Anderson. These stellar Army nurses ensured every moment spent on ground was utilized to the fullest extent. As a result, the Cadets were able to rotate through the Medical-surgical units, the Emergency department, Intensive Care unit, Labor and Delivery unit and the Operating room. Each Cadet obtained over 130 direct patient-care hours. Additionally, they were able to receive three hours of simulation lab training, 24 hours of combat trauma life-support training and eight hours of highly specialized Special Forces medic (18D) training. 

“The Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) was by far one of the better learning experiences I have had with the Army. The block of instruction was super organized and interactive through the three days. On the final day of the course there was a culminating medical lane that we did as a 4-pax team. We went 500-600 meters into the woods, saw a casualty and provided on-site care while pulling security. We performed pain management, antibiotics, wound care, splinting (PAWS), called up a 9-line and eventually evacu ated the patient on the litter to the helicopter landing zone. This recent experience with Tactical Combat Casualty Care was one to remember. The level of expertise, professional ism and enjoyment throughout the entire course was sublime,” said Ca det John B. Lopes from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. 

\During their rotation, they were also able to sit down with WAMC’s Chief Nursing Officer, Col. Donald Kimbler. He provided them with invaluable information on career progression, work-life balance and civility. He further emphasized the importance of becoming veracious readers and obtaining mastery in their nursing craft.

“For many new nurses entering the Clinical Nurse Transition Program (CNTP), the weight of new responsibilities can sometimes obscure the broader mission of Army nursing. NSTP bridges that gap early. By exposing us to the mis sion and culture beforehand, we are better equipped to enter CNTP with not only technical readiness but also a foundational understanding of what it means to serve as an Army Nurse Corps officer. We are not just learning how to do the job; we are learning why we do it, and who we do it for. That sense of purpose is essential. Programs like NSTP don’t just produce competent nurses; they shape committed leaders,” said Ca det Olivia Adamson of Seton Hall University. 

The Cadets also spent many hours on their off days preparing a profes sional presentation that illuminated a tenet from the Joint Professional Practice Model for military nursing. Their topic was “Pain Assessment and Reassessment” which belonged to the Quality and Safety tenet. They thoroughly articulated the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the pain assessment and reassessment practices within WAMC’s patient care areas and provided evidence-based research to support their findings. The NSTP program was an overall benefit to the Cadets, the hospital and the organization at large. 

“This program offers so much more than just the college clinical experience. I was able to understand the lifestyle of an Army nurse by immersing myself in their daily lives. Staying on base helped me under stand more of the culture of the Army which I had not experienced before. The clinical experience that came with this opportunity was also unmatched,” shared Cadet Nicole Narciso from Florida At lantic University. “I was able to get so much hands-on experience, like placing IV’s, drawing labs, discharge teaching, medication administration, hanging antibiotics and so much more. Working in the ER with supportive staff allowed us students to participate in traumas and place IV’s on trauma patients – which was an experience that we would probably not have at our universities.” 

“My scope expanded at Womack, and the opportunities became more hands-on than just observational. I performed my first IV insertions, assisted with various traumas and codes, and supported doctors during procedures. My time in the ICU strengthened my critical thinking. It pushed me to think beyond the textbook to understand that patient care often balances multiple factors,” shared Cadet Nyah Marzan.

Editor’s note: This article was written by Capt. Carmen Williams, Clinical Nurse Transition Program Deputy and Nurse Summer Training Program Site Coordinator for Womack Army Medical Center. Article has been edited for length. 

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