Our Nurse
of the Week is Seth Cobb, a nursing student at the University
of Arkansas (U of A) who is using his position on campus to encourage a
sense of community among fellow veterans.
Cobb’s calling to become a nurse began when he was an Army
medic with the 82nd Airborne Division. After four years in the Army, Cobb
decided to move home to Arkansas and pursue his passion. He says his military service
taught him that building a bright future requires initiative. Cobb still remains
part of the military, serving in the Individual Ready Reserves.
Cobb tells news.uark.edu, “My service as a medic cemented that dream and showed me that I had found what I wanted to do with my life. I have never gotten as much fulfillment from life as I did when helping my fellow soldiers through medicine.”
In his second semester of nursing school, Cobb faced
unexpected circumstances that nearly forced him to drop out. In 2019, a family
member facing an urgent financial hardship forced Cobb to start working full
time to help. But then he was awarded the Mike and Cindy Bonds Advance Arkansas
Scholarship that same month, allowing him to refocus on schoolwork and his
dream of becoming a nurse.
Now, Cobb is helping others on the U of A campus. He’s the
president of the Razorback Student Veterans organization, which helps student
veterans transition to civilian life. Cobb is especially focused on connectivity
and service, inspired by the high suicide rate among veterans. He is committed to
growing a rich community among the veterans at U of A and in their local
community, to ensure a support system for his fellow veterans.
According to news.uark.edu, Cobb stated in a press release: “We aim to alleviate some of their challenges by providing a peer group they can relate to, while also giving them an outlet to continue the service they built their lives on in the military though volunteering and service projects here at home.”
To learn more about Seth Cobb, a nursing student at U of A
who is using his position on campus to encourage a sense of community among
fellow veterans, visit here.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Nursing recently received a grant designed to improve the health, wellbeing, and care of veterans. The grant is provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration, covering three years of funding focused on recruiting more military veterans into the college’s bachelor’s degree in nursing program. The grant also aims to educate nursing students and practicing nurses on the unique health needs of veterans and active military members.
Dr. Louise LaFramboise, PhD, grant project director and associate professor of the UNMC College of Nursing, tells nonpareilonline.com, “Military veterans and those who continue to serve have unique healthcare needs. Some of those needs are due to exposures, experiences, and injuries while serving. They’ve done so much for us. This grant is about making their health a priority and addressing their unique needs.”
The grant began on July 1, 2019, and is focused on primary care nursing for chronic disease prevention and management, including mental health and substance use disorders. Grant objectives include partnering with University of Nebraska campuses to develop early admission programs, developing a statewide pool of registered nurses and nursing faculty interested in learning more about caring for veterans through a continuing education program, and more,
UNMC’s early admission program will give student veterans enrolled in undergraduate colleges or universities who meet and maintain requirements a guaranteed spot in the UNMC College of Nursing. Those eligible are military veterans and those currently serving in the military.
To learn more about UNMC’s $1.36 million grant to enhance nursing care for veterans, visit here.
College Factual has
released its annual list of the best
college for veterans for 2019. The rankings highlight the schools that are
most supportive of veterans and active-duty military members.
In the state of
New York, Excelsior College has been ranked the No.
1 college for veterans out of 131 colleges that were reviewed for the
study. Excelsior College was also ranked in the top one percent of all schools
nationwide, and No. 5 for the Bests for Vets category on a national level. This
is the fourth consecutive year that Excelsior College has been included in the
College Factual rankings.
College Factual
determines its ranking based
on 24 factors, some of which are comprised of 10 or more sub-factors. According
to excelsior.edu, these factors combine to identify excellence in the
following areas:
Veteran Affordability
Veteran
Population
Veteran
Policies
Veteran
Resources
Veteran
Satisfaction
Overall
College Quality
Excelsior College is a
regionally accredited, nonprofit online college focused on contributing to the
development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing
lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals historically
underrepresented in higher education.
To learn more about Excelsior
College being named the best college for veterans in New York, visit here.
Rutgers University–Camden recently announced a new program which will prepare military veterans for civilian careers as nurses who will care specifically for other veterans. The program is funded by a three-year, nearly $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Military veterans are uniquely equipped to care for other veterans thanks to their shared experiences like overseas deployments, a demanding lifestyle, and challenges such as health problems or needing to find a new career when they transition to civilian life.
The new program being offered at Rutgers University–Camden is the only program of its kind in the Delaware Valley and the state of New Jersey. The program is called Veteran Nurses in Primary Care and focuses on understanding veterans and preparing veterans for a career as a civilian. The program will also focus on providing education to community-based primary-care registered nurses and other clinicians, nursing faculty, and clinical instructors to help meet the needs of veteran clients.
Kevin Emmons, a Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden clinical associate professor and a U.S. Army veteran who currently serves as a member of the Army Reserve, tells news.camden.rutgers.edu, “We recognized a need for health-care services for veterans that would help bridge the relationship between them and the health-care provider. One of the best ways to do that is by having the health-care provider, and in this case the nurse, be a veteran themselves. This can instantly build a bond between the veteran client and nurse.”
Applications are currently being accepted for the first cohort of students who will begin taking classes in the fall semester. The first cohort will include eight students, the second year of the program will increase the number of students to 12, and the third year of the program will accept 18 students.
Rutgers University–Camden is the only higher education institution in New Jersey to earn the distinction of being named as a Purple Heart University by the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The honor recognizes the university for its services to veterans and their families. Veterans participating in the program will receive comprehensive support to assist them in their students, including mentors and advisors from the School of Nursing and the university’s Office of Veterans Affairs.
Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden students usually perform their clinical rotations in community and hospital settings, but through the Veteran Nurses in Primary Care program, students will learn while working at the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services, Cooper University Hospital, the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, and Volunteers of America’s Home of the Brave program.
To learn more about the Rutgers University–Camden’s new program which will prepare military veterans for civilian careers as nurses who will care specifically for other veterans, visit here.
