Abstract
Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015 and Tuesday, November 10, 2015:
Due to improvised explosive devices, along with other weapons of war, United States (US) veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) have experienced more post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) than at any other time in American history. It is estimated that as many as 18.5 percent of these veterans suffer from PTSD or depression and 19.5 percent report experiencing a probable TBI during deployment (Rand, 2008). The diagnosis of PTSD is high among veterans exposed to trauma themselves or who have witnessed trauma to another (USDVA, 2014). Further, as a result of the injury of war, it is estimated that 22 US veterans take their own lives each day (Kemp & Bossarte, 2012). Of OEF/OIF discharged veterans, just over half receive care from a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility. The remaining veterans obtain private health care in their local communities, particularly those without access to nearby VA facilities, such as residents of rural communities (National Council for Behavioral Health, 2012). Clearly, this data supports the need for a new skillset within the health care community, especially for registered nurses who work around the clock and calendar providing health care. The average age of a registered nurse in the US is 44-years-old. Most did not have veteran-specific content in their original nursing programs. Today many nurses are caring for returning veterans exhibiting symptoms of PTSD and TBI, and lack the knowledge and clinical skills to competently provide appropriate care. A unique challenge to fill this educational gap exists in RN-BSN Completion Programs. Joining Forces, established in 2011, is a 3-part national initiative created to serve America's military families through employment, education and wellness. The wellness component "encourage[s] and facilitate[s] commitments to train and educate healthcare providers on the unique needs of service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers" (Whitehouse.gov, 2015, para. 4). This initiative provides a call to action and is supported by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2012) and the National League for Nursing (2012). Teaching/learning strategies that incorporate care of veterans must be adaptable to online education if this is the delivery method used for the nursing program. One method for threading content related to the care of veterans into the curriculum for an Online RN-BSN Completion Program will be presented. Methods for obtaining faculty commitment in this venture will be explained.
Sigma Membership
Rho Omicron
Lead Author Affiliation
Mount Carmel College of Nursing, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Veteran Care, Nursing Education, Experiential Learning
Recommended Citation
Marzalik, Penny R. and Spalla, Tara Lynn, "Teaching care of veterans and their families in an online nursing program" (2016). Convention. 134.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2015/posters_2015/134
Conference Name
43rd Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Conference Year
2015
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Teaching care of veterans and their families in an online nursing program
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015 and Tuesday, November 10, 2015:
Due to improvised explosive devices, along with other weapons of war, United States (US) veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) have experienced more post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) than at any other time in American history. It is estimated that as many as 18.5 percent of these veterans suffer from PTSD or depression and 19.5 percent report experiencing a probable TBI during deployment (Rand, 2008). The diagnosis of PTSD is high among veterans exposed to trauma themselves or who have witnessed trauma to another (USDVA, 2014). Further, as a result of the injury of war, it is estimated that 22 US veterans take their own lives each day (Kemp & Bossarte, 2012). Of OEF/OIF discharged veterans, just over half receive care from a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility. The remaining veterans obtain private health care in their local communities, particularly those without access to nearby VA facilities, such as residents of rural communities (National Council for Behavioral Health, 2012). Clearly, this data supports the need for a new skillset within the health care community, especially for registered nurses who work around the clock and calendar providing health care. The average age of a registered nurse in the US is 44-years-old. Most did not have veteran-specific content in their original nursing programs. Today many nurses are caring for returning veterans exhibiting symptoms of PTSD and TBI, and lack the knowledge and clinical skills to competently provide appropriate care. A unique challenge to fill this educational gap exists in RN-BSN Completion Programs. Joining Forces, established in 2011, is a 3-part national initiative created to serve America's military families through employment, education and wellness. The wellness component "encourage[s] and facilitate[s] commitments to train and educate healthcare providers on the unique needs of service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers" (Whitehouse.gov, 2015, para. 4). This initiative provides a call to action and is supported by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2012) and the National League for Nursing (2012). Teaching/learning strategies that incorporate care of veterans must be adaptable to online education if this is the delivery method used for the nursing program. One method for threading content related to the care of veterans into the curriculum for an Online RN-BSN Completion Program will be presented. Methods for obtaining faculty commitment in this venture will be explained.
Description
43rd Biennial Convention 2015 Theme: Serve Locally, Transform Regionally, Lead Globally.