School of Nursing ROTC Students Experience Active Duty Nursing
(August 27, 2024) — For many undergraduates, summer is filled with travel, time spent at the pool, reconnecting with friends and family, and enjoying down time between academic years. For School of Nursing students on an ROTC scholarship, duty calls.
Sydney Blackston (N’25): U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa on Camp Foster, Japan
Sydney Blackston (N’25) in Okinawa, Japan
As recipient of a Navy ROTC scholarship, BSN student Sydney Blackston (N’25) fulfilled her required 2024 summer duty in Okinawa, Japan. For three weeks in May, she shadowed nurses at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa on Camp Foster.
“It was an incredible experience,” Blackston said, describing how each week was spent in a different unit, shadowing their nurses.
“The first week I was on the intensive care unit and that was a great experience for me,” she said. “I got to see a variety of patients including children, dependents and service members. The Navy nurses trained in intensive care were also extremely smart, calculated and compassionate.”
“I learned a lot about how Navy medicine works and how it works abroad,” Blackston said.
The following week she was assigned to the Maternal and Infant Care Center.
“I observed several vaginal deliveries and one cesarean delivery in the operating room,” Blackston said. “I got to assist with different elements of the care plan too, which was great.”
Her last week of duty was in the emergency room.
“That week was very busy, especially because the island doesn’t have any other form of urgent care, so you see a wide variety of patients and their families,” said Blackston.
“In general, it was really rewarding to be able to care for service members and their families. I learned a lot about how Navy medicine works and how it works abroad,” she said.
When not in the hospital, Blackston was able to explore Okinawa.
“I also got the chance to go snorkeling, kayaking, and spent a lot of time at the beach,” she said. “The food was also incredible.
“I hope that I can go back, perhaps in the future as a fully commissioned Navy nurse.”
Snorkeling near Okinawa
Kayaking through the mangroves
Erin Dombroski (N’25): Fort Johnson, Louisiana
Erin Dombroski (N’25), pictured donating blood in the field hospital at Fort Johnson in Louisiana
Army ROTC cadet Erin Dombroski (N’25) spent part of her summer at Fort Johnson in Vernon Parish, Louisiana.
She said the experience gave her an opportunity to practice some of her skills with patients and learn new ones.
“The nurses were all so encouraging and accepting and showed me the importance of the ‘see one, do one’ method,” Dombroski said. “I do not think that without such encouragement and opportunity that I would have been able to get as comfortable with skills such as IVs or catheters.”
Dombroski singled out one memorable day, in particular.
“I think the most impactful day was when I was on labor and delivery and got to see a patient from start to finish — completing my first successful IV and catheter on a patient, all the way through to seeing my first vaginal delivery,” she said. “Overall, the day was exciting.”
Dombroski said switching between labor and delivery and the emergency department showed her differences in procedures and workflows.
Cadets had a chance to experience Medevac helicopters and take an aerial tour of the base.
“Every floor had different standard operating procedures and different teaching methods that showed me how you can work in the same hospital and have truly different experiences,” she said. “I truly enjoyed both floors and feel that both gave me a different, impactful experience that was at times both nerve-wracking and encouraging.
Dombroski lived at Fort Johnson for a month — also a new experience.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how open people were to meeting new people and how quickly all of the cadets felt accepted into the neighborhood,” she said.
Cadets took a swamp boat tour near New Orleans on their day off.
“This experience has taught me how important it is to not only be a lifelong learner, but also a good teacher,” Dombroski added. “A nurse should always be open to learning new skills, and the teachers I had along the way were so key to my experience.”
Until her experience at Fort Johnson, she said, she had her sights set on NICU nursing. But being in an ER and learning about ICU nursing has her rethinking her specialty choice.
“While not always easy,” Dombroski said, “this summer taught me a lot about the type of nurse I want to be, and I am excited by the improvements I have made in my nursing skills.”