NURS 5401 Operational Readiness: Military Mountain Medicine (M3C)

Students will receive advanced operational readiness content and skills related to wilderness medicine, mountain rescue, high-angle extraction from the austere mountain environment, evacuation over challenging terrain, prolonged field care, treatment of traumatic injuries, and first responder aid, as well as develop self-awareness relating to the types of stressors in an austere mountain environment. Students will receive a certificate in Military Mountain Medicine and be eligible to obtain the internationally recognized Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) with completion of NURS5402 Cold Weather/Avalanche Medicine.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

Good academic standing in all didactic courses and satisfactory clinical performance as determined by GSN faculty and the Program Director is required. Each student will work with their respective program faculty to identify an appropriate course date, and endorsement must be obtained from a faculty sponsor, the relevant Program Director, and the GSN Commandant via a Brigade Clearance Form provided by the Operational Training Coordinator.

Learning Objectives

1. Demonstrate effective teamwork and communication in challenging austere mountain environments by participating in simulated rescues, navigation exercises, and multi-disciplinary operational field scenarios.
2. Integrate medical knowledge with mountaineering skills to assess, stabilize, and manage common mountain-related illnesses and trauma—such as hypothermia, frostbite, and altitude illness—under austere and operational conditions.
3. Collaborate with peers and mountain professionals to execute field-based solutions for navigation, survival, and evacuation using practical mountaineering techniques and operational improvisation in remote settings.