U.S. Army names Wright State a Center of Excellence for Nursing

The U.S. Army has named Wright State University a Center of Excellence for Nursing, making it a preferred destination for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets who want to go into the field.

The designation is part of a memorandum of understanding signed by the Wright State Army ROTC and the College of Nursing and Health. It went into effect fall semester.

Under the agreement, six priority seats for ROTC cadets are reserved each year. Two of the seats are for students coming right out of high school, two for existing Wright State students and two for students transferring to Wright State. All of them must meet academic requirements.

Capt. Mallory McCuin, brigade nurse counselor in the Army Nurse Corps, said the designation is important to the Army because it gives ROTC students an assurance they can get into nursing school and retain their ROTC scholarships. She said students with ROTC scholarships are exceptional students.

“So it’s also very beneficial for the College of Nursing and Health because they know that ROTC is going to provide them with really great candidates for their nursing program,” said McCuin, adding that it’s a good overall recruiting tool for the university.

The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is a college-based program that trains students to become commissioned officers of the armed forces.

McCuin, an Army Nurse Corps officer based at Fort Knox, Kentucky, is responsible for all of the nursing cadets in Ohio and Michigan. She meets with all of them face to face each semester to make sure they are getting the support they need and are on track to graduate. Currently there are nine nursing cadets at Wright State.

Nurses must have at least a bachelor’s degree to get into the Army Nurse Corps, the Army’s nursing service comprised entirely of registered nurses — more than 11,000 in all. The nurses start out as medical or surgical nurses to hone their skills and then have the option to specialize in one of six different specialties — obstetrics, operating room nursing, critical care, emergency and trauma, public health and behavioral health.

“We want our nurses to be working at the top of their fields so we can provide the best skill set and the best possible care to our patient population,” said McCuin.

She said nursing students should consider a career in the Army if they enjoy travel, versatility and leadership opportunities.

“You are going to get a lot of leadership opportunities a lot sooner than your civilian peers,” she said.