The Reserve Officer Training Corps nursing programs train undergraduate nursing students to become officers in the nursing corps of either the Army, Navy or Air Force of the United States military. Students receive scholarships for full-time nursing studies while also attending weekday, weekend and summer training in military studies and clinical nursing.
Upon completion, students become either Air Force nurses, officers in the Army Nurse Corps or officers in the Navy Nurse Corps.
Not all nursing schools offer an ROTC program. If you are interested in joining the ROTC while studying to become a nurse, go to the websites of the Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC nursing programs and do a search for colleges that offer them (there are hundreds across the United States). Conversely, you can check with each nursing school that interests you to inquire whether it offers ROTC.
In many cases, especially in large cities with several colleges, one university will host the ROTC program for the area, and students at certain "cross-town" schools may commute to the "host" university for ROTC training. You are welcome to call the officers at each location to inquire about the logistics involved for nursing students.
Students who wish to join the Army or Navy ROTC may apply during their 12th-grade year or after they have already started college. Applicants for the Air Force ROTC nursing program must be sophomores or juniors who are majoring in nursing at CCNE- or NLN-accredited colleges or universities.
Eligibility requirements for ROTC nursing programs include minimum GPAs and minimum scores on physical-fitness tests; the exact requirements depend on the branch of the military you are interested in. All three branches have online applications at their ROTC websites.
ROTC cadets receive full-tuition scholarships and monetary stipends while they are undergraduates. The amounts of the scholarships and stipends depend on the branch of military and the number of years a student has been in ROTC.
For nursing students, the promise of yearly summer clinical training at military bases and hospitals is also an advantage. ROTC programs provide hands-on healthcare practice and leadership training that is valuable for any nursing career.
Students entering ROTC programs make a commitment to serve their respective branch of the military (Army, Navy or Air Force) for a certain number of years after they graduate from college. Army nurses, for example, must serve the Army for eight years: four years full-time and four years with the Individual Ready Reserve.
After completing this service, you can continue your career in the military or work as a nurse in a civilian setting.