University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing

CVTI supports the unique needs of the student veterans at University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing.

During the first HRSA Veterans in Primary Care Grant funding cycle - July 2019-June 2020 - CVTI collaborated with the UNMC College of Nursing to develop veteran-friendly approaches for the College of Nursing, student veteran success strategies, and faculty development to promote faculty appreciation and support of the unique needs of student veterans.

In addition, CVTI Director of Education, R.J. Jenkins, visited UNMC in March 2020 and held a two-day seminar (March 2-4, 2020) for staff and faculty with sessions that focused on student veteran cultural transition issues and student veteran basic socialization. CVTI also held a working breakfast meeting with current nursing student veterans as well as working lunches/dinners with the College of Nursing administration. R.J. worked with, met with, consulted with, and presented to approximately 50 UNMC faculty, staff, and students during this on-campus visit.

“University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Nursing was awarded a 3-year HRSA grant to make our college military friendly. R.J. welcomed our unfamiliarity, desire to learn, and hunger to implement change by graciously accepting our invitation to host a 2-day seminar to educate staff, faculty, and administration on what it truly means to be military friendly. From R.J.’s on-campus visit, we have subsequently hosted our first ever military-connected student orientation in July 2020, we are currently working on developing a guaranteed admissions process for undergraduate military-connected students from our three sister schools, and we will be providing graduation honor cords for military-connected students and faculty! We have a long way to go, but R.J.’s guidance has put us on the right track in getting us to our destination!”

- Jennifer Escher, M.Ed., Project Coordinator

Based on this work, UNMC College of Nursing hosted its very first veteran-specific orientation for new, incoming student veterans. In the second and third years of the HRSA Veterans in Primary Care Grant, CVTI offered capacity building training to all UNMC campuses across the state of Nebraska, including: Kearney, NE Campus (this training included staff/faculty from Kearney’s sister campus, University of Nebraska Kearney); Lincoln, NE Campus; Norfolk, NE Campus; and Scottsbluff, NE Campus. We also provided virtual support for staff at Lincoln, Norfolk, and Scottsbluff campuses throughout the grant period.