‘An unspoken family’: Nursing students find common ground in military service

Two rooms on the fifth floor of the UNMC College of Nursing building on the Omaha campus facilitate a special bond between students who have dedicated their lives to service of others.

In rooms 5075 and 5077, junior and senior nursing students who are either active duty or veterans of the United States military can find a place to study with one another, relax between classes and, most importantly, encourage one another to push through.

“It’s an unspoken family,” said Aprille Proctor, a graduating nursing student who serves in the Air Force. “It’s a strength to me to know that I’m not by myself, that there are other people who have the same background as me.”

When the rooms are full, it’s not surprising to hear friendly jabs at one another about their respective branches. But nicknames and slang terms are meant and understood as words of endearment, as a sign of solidarity and understanding of each other’s backgrounds.

“Military people like to dog on each other, but there’s always that sense of camaraderie behind it,” United States Army veteran Ryan McManus said, who graduated in May, said. “It’s always a positive thing here.”

Between the friendly rivalries among branches are texts of support, wellness check-ins and a network of people who only want to see each other succeed.

“It’s been a lifesaver,” Manning Kuboushek, an active Air Force member who graduated in May, said. “Sometimes the material clicks, but you need that help other times. We know that the tests are on our own, but we always prep as a team.”

Those who use the room each got into nursing for a different reason and plan to use their schooling for their respective career goals. However, each one carries a similar sentiment when asked how their military duty translates to nursing.

“Service before self,” Proctor said.

“A lot of it is about selflessness and honesty,” added Kuboushek.  

With the rooms for juniors and seniors side by side, the layout lends itself to mentoring opportunities for the older students. Seeking advice from seniors as they did in their early years of schooling, this year’s graduating class assumed similar roles. Kuboushek said providing guidance is finding the balance between helping younger students find their own success and allowing them to be independent learners.

“You try to help them and try to give them insight when you can,” he said.

But whether a question can be answered or not, the seniors are proud to be leaders and resources.

“They know we’re here for them,” Proctor said.

The last few weeks of the school year were the final push to what has been four semesters of support for one another. While the stress of final exams and the bustle of the end of the year can be overwhelming, the students who occupy the rooms haven’t forgotten the peers who helped them get to this point.

“We’re very mission oriented. We still have to watch each other’s backs no matter what,” McManus said. “We still have that feeling of no man left behind.”