Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans and Military Personnel, Capstone Project Example

Introduction

The veteran population possesses its own unique set of challenge that require a detailed assessment in order to improve their overall health and wellbeing. A specific strategy must also be identified that will support their health across many variables and aim to impact outcomes for these patients over the long term. Conducting an assessment of veterans must incorporate the primary characteristics of this population and the obstacles that they face regarding disease and quality of life. This group may experience a number of difficulties that require ongoing attention from the healthcare community and a specialized strategy that will have a positive and lasting impact on outcomes. As a result, an assessment of this population must be conducted that will identify its primary concerns and develop strategies to address those concerns in a comprehensive manner. A step-by-step assessment approach is necessary in order to be successful in recognizing the needs of veteran patients and to support their ongoing health needs.

Body

An accurate and detailed health assessment for the veteran population involves a number of critical processes that are likely to have a lasting impact on their wellbeing. Therefore, a comprehensive approach to the assessment is required that will address the physical, mental, and emotional issues regarding veterans. The objectives established by Healthy People 2020 (2015) include the emerging mental health concerns of veterans, particularly those who have endured significant trauma from the mental and physical perspectives; therefore, it is imperative that these measures are incorporated into the chosen assessment method. This process requires organizations to examine the basic healthcare needs of veterans and to be proactive in defining how to conduct assessments that will identify specific issues that impact veterans’ health on a continuous basis. The assessment method must incorporate the key principles of mental health because this area impacts veterans significantly and poses a serious threat to their overall wellbeing. It is important for veterans-based assessments to be mindful of the challenges related to meeting the needs of these patients through mental health screenings and discussions regarding any possible symptoms of depression or other matters.

One of the critical components of the mental health assessment for veterans must include screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, which may include the following: “several interrelated symptom clusters including reexperiencing symptoms (e.g., intrusive thoughts, recurrent dreams, flashbacks, distress and physiologic reactivity upon exposure to trauma cues), avoidance and emotional numbing symptoms (e.g., avoidance of traumatic reminders, anhedonia, detachment from others, restricted emotional experiences, sense of foreshortened future), and hyperarousal symptoms (e.g., sleep difficulties, irritability and anger, concentration problems, hypervigilence, exaggerated startle)” (Gates et.al, 2012, p. 361). Although this is only one of a variety of mental health concerns that may impact patients, it is nonetheless one of the most relevant conditions that must be addressed, and it requires further examination and focus in order to ensure that mental health is a critical priority of the assessment process.

One of the critical areas of assessment for veterans involves the identification of post-deployment care and treatment, both of which are often challenged by non-specific providers that may not recognize the needs of this population in detail (Spelman, Hunt, Seal, & Burgo-Black, 2012). From this perspective, it is necessary to identify specific areas such as depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, familial and social dysfunction, and chronic pain, all of which may impact veterans’ health in a negative manner (Spelman et.al, 2012). From this perspective, veterans’ needs are complex in nature, and therefore, an interdisciplinary approach to assessment may be required to enable veterans to receive the type of treatment that they deserve to providing care and treatment that will have positive and lasting effects (Spelman et.al, 2012). Veterans face critical concerns from a global perspective that require effective management, and as a result, there must be a greater emphasis placed upon the role of nurses in recognizing the value of specialized veterans care and treatment (Spelman et.al, 2012). When veterans return from combat in other areas, there is an increased risk of developing one or more health complications that require a detailed assessment and evaluation (Spelman et.al, 2012). Patients must be treated with these considerations in mind in order to ensure that there is a successful strategy in place to treat any diagnoses that may be identified (Spelman et.al, 2012).

Conducting a needs assessment is also a key component of the chosen strategy in the treatment of veterans, and this requires an approach that is multifaceted in nature and supports their health and wellbeing over time (Schell et.al, 2011). Most importantly, nurses must be prepared to provide the type of assessment that will have a positive and lasting set of benefits for patients (Schell et.al, 2011). A veterans assessment must include the available of wide-ranging resources for this group, from treatment for chronic disease to prevention methods and screenings to prevent other forms of disease. This process requires nurses to utilize these resources efficiently to meet the needs of these veterans and to be successful in working with patients on a continuous basis (Schell et.al, 2011).

With respect to chronic disease, veterans may experience poor quality of life as a result of these conditions; therefore, adherence to the required testing methods and other measures must be considered as part of this process (Neugaard, Priest, Burch, Cantrell, & Foulis (2011). The process of developing a coordinated plan of care for this group requires a full understanding and analysis of their needs, along with an assessment of the Veterans Administration system in order to identify its key strengths and weaknesses in the treatment of patients (Neugaard et.al, 2011). Consideration of a number of key factors is required in order to be successful in treating veterans and in recognizing what strategies are required to improve the quality of care that they receive. It is critical for nurses to be mindful of the advantages of treating veterans but also to be cognizant in supporting new and emerging trends that will positively utilize nurses’ skills in a manner that is consistent with the objectives of veterans’ care (Neugaard et.al, 2011). Assessments must be conducted in a manner that will be consistent in meeting the needs of veterans and in supporting a dynamic that is both positive and meaningful in addressing their most critical needs (Neugaard et.al, 2011). Quality of care must serve as a critical priority in supporting the needs of veterans who possess critical issues and require improved quality of care in meeting their needs without any delays (Neugaard et.al, 2011).

Finally, the prevalence of chronic disease among veterans must also be considered as a key component in conducting a healthcare needs assessment for this population group. Veterans require specific plans of care and treatment for chronic diseases such as diabetes; therefore, it is necessary for these groups to receive screening tools and routine diagnostic testing that will be impactful in managing the disease as best as possible. Most importantly, the assessment process must include an evaluation of behaviors that influence how patients respond to diabetes and whether or not they are prepared to address the disease through behavioral modifications (Petry et.al, 2013). For example, “The benefits of eating less and exercising more are delayed in time (weight loss and fitness take weeks or months to achieve) and are relatively abstract (feeling “better”). Similarly, potential adverse consequences of overeating and a sedentary lifestyle are long delayed in time and uncertain, as clearly not everyone who overeats and is inactive develops diabetes or has a heart attack; thus, these long-term consequences are heavily discounted in day-by-day decision making processes” (Petry et.al, 2013). From this perspective, assessments must include a discussion of how veterans respond to behavioral change as part of improving their health and whether or not they are prepared to consider that their behaviors have a a significant impact on their wellbeing (Petry et.al, 2013). Therefore, assessments must include behavioral recommendations as necessary that will influence how receptive veterans are to change and if they are prepared to manage diabetes diagnoses and/or risk through their own set of behavioral changes (Petry et.al, 2013).

Conclusion

Developing and implementing a step-by-step assessment method for veterans requires an examination of the key principles that impact their health and wellbeing, including physical, mental, and emotional challenges. Nurses must be prepared to adopt specific principles that will positively impact veterans across all age groups and will also influence the level of care and treatment that they receive. The assessment strategy must incorporate a number of key principles that will have a lasting impact on their health, including the diagnosis of mental health conditions that include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; in addition, chronic health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension must also be considered to enable patients to receive preventative services and treatment as necessary. The assessment method must identify areas where veterans’ healthcare needs are a critical priority and are supported by a strategy which encompasses different perspectives of health to facilitate positive results. Veterans possess significant obstacles throughout their lives; therefore, their health concerns must be prioritized and supported by a strategy that will have positive and lasting implications for their health throughout the life span. It is the responsibility of nurses to address these concerns and to be proactive in working with veterans to recognize their specific needs and address these needs effectively through health assessments whenever possible.

References

Gates, M. A., Holowka, D. W., Vasterling, J. J., Keane, T. M., Marx, B. P., & Rosen, R. C. (2012). Posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans and military personnel: Epidemiology, screening, and case recognition. Psychological services, 9(4), 361.

HealthyPeople.gov (2015). Mental health and mental disorders. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/mental-health-and-mental-disorders

Neugaard, B. I., Priest, J. L., Burch, S. P., Cantrell, C. R., & Foulis, P. R. (2011). Quality of care for veterans with chronic diseases: performance on quality indicators, medication use and adherence, and health care utilization.Population health management, 14(2), 99-106.

Petry, N. M., Cengiz, E., Wagner, J. A., Hood, K. K., Carria, L., & Tamborlane, W. V. (2013). Incentivizing behaviour change to improve diabetes care.Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 15(12), 1071-1076.

Schell, T. L., Tanielian, T., Farmer, C. M., Jaycox, L. H., Marshall, G. N., Vaughan, C. A., &

Wrenn, G. (2011). A needs assessment of New York State veterans. RAND Health Quarterly, 1(1).

Spelman, J. F., Hunt, S. C., Seal, K. H., & Burgo-Black, A. L. (2012). Post deployment care for returning combat veterans. Journal of general internal medicine, 27(9), 1200-1209.-