Preparing Staff to Care for Veterans, Capstone Project Example

Introduction

The veteran population possesses a unique set of challenges that must be evaluated in the context of cultural identity that will facilitate care and treatment throughout the life span. Veterans have had many experiences that require specialized attention and focus from the healthcare community that will support this culture and the issues that they face on a daily basis. A cultural assessment of Veterans demonstrates that this population faces a difficult battle with respect to health that continues to impact their health on many levels. The physical, mental, emotional, and psychological challenges of the veteran population are of primary concern and therefore, must be addressed by the healthcare community on a continuous basis. The cultural identity of veterans is very unique; therefore, their specific health concerns must be considered during health-related assessments in order to ensure that they receive proper care and treatment at all times.

Body

Veterans require specific considerations regarding their health that are often associated with their level of mental capacity and stability, particularly if they have experienced traumatic events throughout their lives relative to their military service or combat. As a result, it is imperative that the culture of this population is well understood and that their needs are identified in a concise manner. Promoting positive health among the members of this population is often very difficult to achieve; therefore, it is necessary to consider how communication might bridge some of the gaps that exist in sharing information and treating veterans with the respect and providing the support that they deserve (Koenig, Maguen, Monroy, Mayott, & Seal, 2014). Most importantly, there are numerous challenges related to the transition of veterans from military to civilian life, and as a result, it may be difficult to address their health care needs without strong communication and the minimization of barriers as much as possible (Koenig et.al, 2014).

Health promotion among veterans requires an examination of the different barriers that often impact this group in different ways. For example, a mental health stigma often exists for veterans that requires nurses to better understand this culture and the walls that exist that influence how care and treatment are not only administered, but also perceived (Westphal & Convoy, 2015). This reflects the importance of developing a healthcare culture for veterans that will positively impact their wellbeing over the long term and provide them with the necessary resources to promote health and achieve greater quality of life (Westphal & Convoy, 2015). Nurses must be fully trained and prepared to work with veterans to address their care-based needs and common diagnoses, such as depression and chronic disease, in order to be successful in treating this population as best as possible, using the identification of barriers to minimize limitations for this group of patients (Westphal & Convoy, 2015).

Patient care outcomes must reflect a set of key health promotion strategies that are specifically directed at veterans, as this supports the development of new approaches to health promotion that involve members of the younger population of veterans. This group is likely to benefit from a series of behaviors that specifically aim to prevent chronic disease and demonstrate the importance of shaping an environment where chronic disease is not a concern for these veterans (Widome, Littman, Laska, & Fu, 2012). This reflects the importance of developing an environment where chronic diseases such as diabetes are a non-issue and do not impact their daily living. This process requires nurses to work with veterans to address their health-related behaviors and to be mindful of the challenges that they face as they work towards solutions to address their health problems in a timely manner (Widome et.al, 2012).

Veterans must be evaluated by nurses in the appropriate manner and must be recognized for their contributions to care and treatment that will impact their health in a positive manner. As a result, nurses must possess the knowledge and experience that is required to meet expectations and support a work climate where there are significant opportunities for growth that will impact health outcomes over the long term (Conard, Allen, & Armstrong, 2015). Most importantly, nurses must be mindful of the efforts that are required to understand cultural differences and to recognize barriers, including those where communication is lacking or is limited by cultural beliefs or customs. The treatment of veterans must overcome any barriers to communication that exist and aim to be proactive in working with these clients to provide them with as many opportunities as possible to improve their health without delays or limitations in their care and treatment (Conard et.al, 2015). It is important to recognize the value of working with veterans and in supporting their health by overcoming any barriers to treatment and communication that may exist, due to lack of knowledge of this culture and the expectations set forth with a given treatment strategy (Conard et.al, 2015).

Conclusion

Veterans possess a unique cultural identity that may be difficult to understand for some healthcare providers due to prior experiences, such as traumatic events, that impact their health and wellbeing. As a result, nurses must be mindful of these needs and must be prepared to manage the challenges of this population group through expanded knowledge and resources to enhance their communication and treatment goals and objectives. It is imperative that nurses are prepared to work with veterans at the highest possible level so that they are able to provide optimal treatment to support their needs, including managing the aftermath of traumatic experiences that are deeply rooted in this culture.

References

Conard, P. L., Allen, P. E., & Armstrong, M. L. (2015). Preparing Staff to Care for Veterans in a Way They Need and Deserve. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 46(3), 109.

Koenig, C. J., Maguen, S., Monroy, J. D., Mayott, L., & Seal, K. H. (2014). Facilitating culture-centered communication between health care providers and veterans transitioning from military deployment to civilian life. Patient education and counseling, 95(3), 414-420.

Westphal, R. J., & Convoy, S. P. (2015). Military Culture Implications for Mental Health and Nursing Care. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 20(1).

Widome, R., Littman, A. J., Laska, M. N., & Fu, S. S. (2012). Preventing chronic illness in young veterans by promoting healthful behaviors. Preventing chronic disease, 9.