Supporting Veterans Transitioning into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program: Recognizing the Value of the Military Medic and Corpsman Kirsten Manzi, M.S. Ed.​ Assistant Director of Undergraduate Advising​ College of Nursing, University of South Florida​ Alicia Rossiter, DNP, ARNP, FNP, PPCNP-BC, FAANP Lieutenant Colonel (Retired), United States Air Force Reserves Nurse Corps Program Director, Veteran to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program, College of Nursing Military Liaison, College of Nursing, University of South Florida

Learning Outcomes Learn about the need for expanding the pool of registered nurses to fill the nation-wide nursing shortage. Understand how USF implemented its V-CARE program, and its benefits to medics and corpsman.

Learning Outcomes (continued) Understand how USF evaluates and awards nursing credit from a medic/corpsman’s military transcript. Gain the tools and knowledge to develop your institution’s process for awarding military credit from the JST/CCAF.

Barriers to BS in Nursing Spend time, money, financial aid, VA benefits on prerequisite courses with no guarantee of acceptance into a nursing program Taking prerequisite courses while active duty Military encouragement of ASN then BSN University is for officers; community college is for enlisted Low cumulative GPAs from prior college(s)

Challenges Post-911 GI Bill Myth (40%; 45%) Lack of scholarships Inadequate financial support Health Insurance Reserve Duty Relocation

Development of VBSN degree (V-CARE) In 2013, the College of Nursing (CON) at USF was awarded a $1.25 million federal grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) to create a Veteran to Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.​ CON was one of nine institutions across the U.S. awarded funding by HRSA; CON's fully-funded, four-year grant was the largest of the nine.​ CON named the program Creating Access to RN Education for Veterans (V-CARE) ​

Acknowledgment This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UF1HP26490 Veterans to BSN Program for $1,538,860. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, the US Army, US Air Force, US Navy, Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.

College of Nursing’s V-BSN Created specifically for veterans who have completed military training as Army or Air Force medics or Navy corpsmen​ Up to 16 credits in nursing credit is awarded to students from education and training as demonstrated on the ACE transcript​ 4 credits prerequisite coursework​ (optional) 12 credits of upper-division nursing credit​ Awarding of the upper-division nursing credits reduces the amount of nursing credits from 68 down to 56 accelerate the program to 4 consecutive semesters/16 months​

https://youtu.be/WQTi-ZUX_9s Lack of recognition of MOS/experience in transitioning to the workforce​ https://youtu.be/WQTi-ZUX_9s

Admission to V-CARE Program is limited-access Admission: 20 students in fall 10 students in spring​ Applicants are evaluated on:​ Overall GPA in all undergraduate coursework Minimum 3.0 preferred (minimum of 2.9 considered)​ First-attempt grades in the prerequisite coursework ​ Interview Resume ​

Program Features Up to 16 nursing credits awarded based off JST/CCAF transcript Conditional admittance offered No expiration date on prerequisite coursework VBSN students take all classes together CON known for high NCLEX pass rates & graduation rates​ #1 Most Veteran Friendly Nursing College in Nation (College Factual, 2015)​ USF #1 Public in the Nation for “Best Colleges” (Military Times, 2018)​ Students can be conditionally admitted to current or future cohorts, which allows them to finish prerequisite coursework knowing they're accepted to a nursing program once they separate from military​ Prerequisite coursework can be taken at any regionally-accredited institution, either live or online (USF offers all prerequisites online) ​& No expiration date on prerequisite coursework​

Examples of Qualifying Medics/Corpsmen Army Medics​ Medical Specialist (91W) Health Care Specialist (68W) Practical Nurse Air Force Medics​ Aerospace Medic Service Apprentice Medical Service Apprentice Navy Corpsmen Hospital Corpsman Hospitalman

Examples of Non-Qualifying MOSs Army Operating Room Specialist​ Air Force​ Medical Laboratory Apprentice Surgical Service Apprentice Otalaryngology Surgical Service Apprentice Fire Protection Apprentice/Rescue Technician Health Service Management Apprentice Dental Technician Navy None to date Preliminary evaluation of transcripts for prospective students

16 Upper Division Nursing Credits Awarded from JST/CCAF Transcript: BSC 2085/L Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab (4cr) NUR 3026: Patient Centered Care: Essentials of Nursing Practice (3) NUR 3026L: Patient Centered Care: Essentials of Nursing Practice Lab (1) NUR 3066: Health Assessment, Wellness, & Prevention Across the Lifespan (1) NUR 3225L: Complex Health Nursing I Clinical (1) NUR 4227L: Complex Health Nursing II Clinical (1) NUR 4937: Nursing Seminar (3) NUR 4635L: Public Health Nursing Clinical (2)

ACE Transcript: Army Example

ACE Transcript: Navy Example Pg. 1 of 4

ACE Transcript: Navy Example Pg. 2 of 4

ACE Transcript: Navy Example Pg. 3 of 4

ACE Transcript: Navy Example Pg. 4 of 4

ACE Transcript: Air Force Example

ACE Transcript: Not V-CARE Eligible

ACE Transcript: Not V-CARE Eligible

ACE Transcript Evaluation ACE website for evaluation of educational experiences in the Armed Forces: http://www2.acenet.edu/militaryguide/CourseSearch.cfm TES Transfer Evaluation System (College Source) https://tes.collegesource.com/ Clinical credit recommendation = clinical credit awarded Didactic credit recommendation = didactic credit awarded Level and content of courses are reviewed when evaluating credit Credit hours awarded does not exceed ACE’s credit recommendation Credit recommendation “none” – we do not award credit Student can email jst@doded.mil if they feel there is an error on their transcript Consistency in evaluations within branches and MOSs Evaluations (rubrics) on-file with the University for documentation

VBSN Program Sequence 1st Semester (13cr) 2nd Semester (16cr) 3rd Semester (14cr) 4th Semester (13cr) NUR 3125: Pathophysiology for Nursing Practice (3) NUR 4169: Evidence Based Practice (3) NUR 4535: Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (3) NUR 4888: Coordination of Care in Nursing (2) NUR 3145: Pharmacology in Nursing Practice (3) NUR 3225: Complex Health Nursing I (3) NUR 4535: Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Clinical (2) NUR 4635: Public Health Nursing (3) NUR 3081 Bridge to Professional Nursing (4) NUR 3225L: Complex Health Nursing I Clinical (3) NUR 4227: Complex Health Nursing II (4) NUR 4635L: Public Health Nursing Clinical (1) NUR 3081L: Bridge to Professional Nursing Clinical (2) NUR 4467: Nursing Care of Women, Children, and Families (4) NUR 4227: Complex Health Nursing II Clinical (3) NUR 4827: Role Transition and Leadership in Nursing (2) NUR 3066: Health Assessment, Wellness, and Prevention Across the Lifespan (1) NUR 4467L: Nursing Care of Women, Children, and Families Clinical (3) NUR 4285: Healthy Aging: Nursing Care of Older Adults (2) NUR 4948L: Preceptorship (5)

Cohort Overview Admission* Retention Graduation 1st Time NCLEX Pass 10 100% 90% Cohort 2 24 83% 89% Cohort 3 92% Cohort 4 21 December 2018 N/A Cohort 5 Admissions sent Cohort 1—3 NECP—100% pass rate Cohort 2—2 withdraw for no interest in nursing/adjustment issues; 2 medical withdrawals; 1 delayed but graduated a semester late (medical withdrawal). 16 of 18 have taken NCLEX and passed first time. 2 have not taken NCLEX NECP and AECP Cohort 3—2 withdrew—1 had family medical issues and 1 clinical failure NECP, AECP, and MECP

VBSN and Beyond Graduate Program Degree University Acute Care NP MSN University of South Florida WHNP/Midwifery x 2 DNP Georgetown University Adult-Geriatrics NP University of South Alabama Pediatric NP

Enlisted to Officer Cohort USAF USN USA 1 3 2 4 4*

Got Your Six Student Veterans Success Network Educate faculty, staff, and administrators at USF on important issues concerning student veterans Provide GY6 training for hospital sites Facilitate successful transition and reintegration into the university setting. Equip USF employees with the tools to help student veterans thrive on campus Provide a veteran-focused support network

Reflections/Lessons Learned Collaboration between University and CON How and when to award ACE credit Preliminary evaluation of credit for prospective applicants Configuration of Degree Works (degree-auditing system​) College of Nursing Orientation/Pre-Immersion Program (PIP)

Reflections/Lessons Learned Marketing/Recruiting Base visits by Academic Dean of College of Nursing & V-CARE Sequence Director Active duty vs. Veteran population Online informational webinars offered at least once a month Word-of-Mouth Additional Support Services​ Support from USF’s Office of Veteran Success * Got Your Six Training for faculty, administration, and hospital partners * Extra support from the Associate Director of Veteran Services * VetSuccess on Campus (Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor on-campus full-time) Dedicated V-CARE lounge in the College of Nursing Additional academic/administrative support

“Kindred” Role Models Mentors that “look” like them Support Systems VBSN Sequence Director OVS Assistant Director Dedicated Academic Advisor Support Systems Academic needs Military needs

Underestimating Effect of the “Unit” Allegiance to the unit – leave no man behind Student lounge fosters unit identity and relationship US Flag – recognition of service and gratitude Clinical cohort

Same, Yet Different Adult learners on a “mission” Want to learn everything – no shortcuts Lack tolerance for “bad behavior” – respect, conduct Not a peer, but a peer Education needs vary

Lessons Learned

V-CARE Fun Facts 6 V-CARE babies 3 V-CARE couples 3 national campaigns

Thank you Kirsten Manzi 813-974-3819 kirstenmanzi@health.usf.edu Alicia Rossiter 813-974-1938 arossite@health.usf.edu