Ethical, Legal and Risk Management, Capstone Project Example

Introduction

Conducting a health assessment of a specific population requires an examination of the core values, beliefs, and principles of the population in question in order to be effective in achieving diagnostic accuracy. This process requires nurses to exercise sound and reasonable judgment in supporting their patients through effective decision-making and in evaluating a population’s overarching needs and expectations. Regardless of the selected population, it is important to identify the different perspectives that are likely to impact patients and what individual characteristics impact a group of people. This is a learning process that requires nurses to be effective in obtaining comprehensive information regarding a given population in order to effectively conduct an assessment at a high level. It is important for nurses to identify the specific health issues associated with a given population and determine how to best assess their needs, based upon these concerns. For the purpose of this discussion, the Veteran population will be evaluated to conduct a proper health assessment that will address the comprehensive needs of this group and the primary health concerns that occur within this population.

Body

The Veteran population possesses a number of significant challenges and limitations that impact health in many different ways. Veterans often possess a variety of health issues including chronic disease and mental health conditions that may be attributed to prior trauma and the stress of leading a life in the military. Therefore, it is expected that a patient assessment for veterans would include screenings for chronic disease, cancer, and other conditions that may be exacerbated by stress and trauma. In addition, mental health screenings must be part of any assessment of veterans because of the complex nature of this role and how it impacts the mental mindset of those who currently serve or who have served in the military in the past. Therefore, a clinical assessment of veterans requires a comprehensive approach that emphasizes physical, mental, and psychological wellbeing in order to ensure that they receive the proper treatment as necessary when specific diagnoses are made.

It is expected that any patient assessment of veterans would require a neuropsychological component; therefore, nurses must be apprised of the ethical considerations of this practice and the overall development of tools that will be sensitive to these issues (Russo, 2013). Other factors to consider include screening tools for chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, which are common among the veteran population. In addition, an assessment of patient safety must be considered as part of the process because many veterans are put into high-risk situations that may limit their ability to achieve an acceptable quality of life (Rosen et.al, 2012).  Veteran patients require a specific assessment method that will be effective in diagnosing a variety of conditions and in determining how to best treat these diagnoses in a comprehensive manner to best meet their needs.

Veterans possess a variety of obstacles with respect to their overall health and wellbeing; therefore, this requires an examination of the different principles which support veterans and their health needs. For veterans, quality of life is often poor and be a result of posttraumatic stress disorder and its accompany symptoms and overall impact on mental health (Zatzick et.al, 2014). Many of these veterans possess poor quality of life because they are unable to function at a high level, and this requires nurses to be mindful of these situations when evaluating this group of patients (Zatzick et.al, 2014). This process is also important because it conveys the realities of the veteran lifestyle and the impact of trauma and stress on this group of patients, particularly as they aim to adjust to a normal routine and require ongoing support and guidance from healthcare providers (Zatzick et.al, 2014).

Finally, veterans require the knowledge and skill of nurses who are able to recognize their concerns and are sensitive to their mental health needs. Since these issues typically impact quality of life, there must be a significant emphasis on recognizing concerns such as depression and PTSD in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients on a comprehensive basis (Pittman et.al, 2012). Nurses must develop an assessment tool that addresses these concerns and also supports flexibility in working with these patients. The tool must also identify areas where quality of life is severely compromised and aim to provide care and treatment that will address some of these concerns on a continuous basis. Mental health must serve as a critical priority for nurses in assessing these patients and in determining if this approach will determine the relationship between mental and physical health for veterans (Pittman et.al, 2012). Therefore, nurses must be educated regarding the needs of veterans and what is required to conduct a comprehensive assessment that will have positive outcomes.

Conclusion

The veteran population possesses a unique set of circumstances that require ongoing attention and focus in order to improve health and wellbeing. It is the responsibility of nurses to be proactive in developing patient assessment tools that are specifically designed for veterans and which support the development of comprehensive assessment methods that address chronic diseases, cancer, and important mental health issues. This process requires nurses to exercise a strong learning curve and be able to support a flexible environment in which veterans are evaluated on the basis of specific conditions that impact their health over the long term. It is believed that this process will continue to grow and change as necessary so that veteran patient assessments are appropriate, timely, and efficient in addressing the most common needs of this population, regardless of age and length of service.

References

Pittman, J. O., Goldsmith, A. A., Lemmer, J. A., Kilmer, M. T., & Baker, D. G. (2012). Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and health-related quality of life in OEF/OIF veterans. Quality of Life Research, 21(1), 99-103.

Rosen, A. K., Itani, K. M., Cevasco, M., Kaafarani, H. M., Hanchate, A., Shin, M., … & Borzecki, A. (2012). Validating the patient safety indicators in the Veterans Health Administration: do they accurately identify true safety events?.Medical care, 50(1), 74-85.

Russo, A. C. (2013). Ethical, legal and risk management considerations in the neuropsychological assessment of veterans. Psychological Injury and Law,6(1), 21-30.

Zatzick, D. F., Marmar, C. R., Weiss, D. S., Browner, W. S., Metzler, T. J., Golding, J. M., … & Wells, K. B. (2014). Posttraumatic stress disorder and functioning and quality of life outcomes in a nationally representative sample of male Vietnam veterans. American Journal of Psychiatry.