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A veteran refers to someone who has served "in the active military, naval, air, or space service" and has been discharged honorably.

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Similarly to nurses, women veterans were allowed to join the forces because war demanded an increase of members. Once women were allowed to join, they still faced discrepancies in rights and treatment in comparison to their male counterparts. In 1983 Harry Walters established the National Advisory Committee on Women
Veterans. Although there has been many changes to rectify the unfair treatment women face as veterans, it is important to raise more awareness, and as nurses, to be aware that these issues may alter the type of care needed to provided to these women.

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Historical Perspective of Women Veterans

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-The NCVAS estimated that in Texas there was an 11% drop of veterans from the year 2000 to 2020.

- For the fiscal year 2002 the total medical expenditures was 1,561,012.

- From the years 2008-2017 health care and disability compensation make up the largest portion of VA utilization with an increase of usage up to 47%

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The VetPop2018 Infographic displays charts, graphs, maps to visualize data of the Veteran Population Projection Model 2018 (VetPop2018). VetPop16 provides the latest official Veteran population by key demographic characteristics such as age/generations, gender, period of service and race/ethnicity at the national, state and Congressional District levels for the next 30 years.

The VetPop2019 Infographic describes the Veteran Population Projection Model used to estimate and project the numbers and characteristics of the Veteran population. The process includes blending data from various data sources to produce Veteran counts at the national, state and below the state levels for certain demographics. It includes projecting the number of Veteran records out into the future for 30-years.

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The VetPop2018 Infographic displays charts, graphs, maps to visualize data of the Veteran Population Projection Model 2018 (VetPop2018). VetPop16 provides the latest official Veteran population by key demographic characteristics such as age/generations, gender, period of service and race/ethnicity at the national, state and Congressional District levels for the next 30 years.

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There are many factors that influence the type of experience veterans will have during their time of service such as ranking, age, gender, and much more. Although veterans have difference experience, they all share one thing in common: sacrifice. Veterans all understand the sacrifices that must be made when becoming service members, this creates a type of bond only they are able to understand. As nurses it is important we be empathetic and knowledgeable to what veteran culture is like so we are able to provide the best care possible. It is important that we avoid saying things like "I understand" because this may feel offensive to our patients. Veteran culture is a unique experience that shares similar difficulties and feelings.

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There are many resources available to veterans that are unique to the person and their needs. Lots of programs are not dependent on the patient being enrolled into VA health benefits. Veteran health benefit resources are broad and as nurses it is important we are aware of this as patients may not know they are entitled to receive these benefits. Healthcare covers a wide range of benefits, from free vaccines to even surgery, depending on certain factors. There are great programs such as MOVE- which helps focus on weight management and healthy lifestyle modifications, to help with diseases like diabetes. Patients may not be aware of less known tools like MOVE, so as nurses we can direct our patients to the right sources that directly focus on veterans needs.

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MOVE! is a national weight management program designed by the VA National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (NCP), a part of the Office of Patient Care Services, to help veterans lose weight, keep it off and improve their health.

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I am including this link because I found it really interesting and helpful. Teaching our patients proper nutrition is important, veterans are no exception. This link is helpful because as we have learned about veteran culture, veterans find comfort in other veterans/ veteran focused care. This link can be used by anyone, but it is special because it was made FOR veterans. This tool includes:

Information of how diet choices can affect disease processes, such as cancer and heart conditions.

A nutrition blog tab which has information provided by registered dietitians on multitudes of topics.

A tab for video recipes that has many healthy and easy recipes.

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The crisis line is very important because it provides help to not only veterans but their families as well. It is available 24/7, and like many other healthcare sources, there is no need to be enrolled in VA benefits. The people who receive the calls are trained to communicate specifically with veterans, this is because veterans have unique struggles, such as PTSD. Family members are also able to use this line when they are worried for their loved one and do not know what step needs to be taken next.

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24/7, confidential crisis support for Veterans and their loved ones. Contact the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online, or text 838255.

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Many times sexual trauma is not reported by veterans, so as nurses it is important we search for signs and advocate for our patients. A few tools that may be used to screen for MST include:

A PTSD assessment

psychological eval

-other signs include, reports of pain and poor sleep quality

Treatment options are broad and depend on each patient. There is community based care, that includes veteran peer specialists, and there is individual inpatient treatment that is used for more severe cases.

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If you're a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, connect with our caring, qualified Veterans Crisis Line responders for confidential help. Many of them are Veterans themselves. This service is private, free, and available 24/7.
To connect with a Veterans Crisis Line responder anytime day or night: You can also:

Go to the nearest emergency room.

Go directly to your nearest VA medical center. It doesn't matter what your discharge status is or if you're enrolled in VA health care.
Find your nearest VA medical center

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Military sexual trauma (MST) | Veterans Affairs

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Military sexual trauma (MST) refers to sexual assault or sexual harassment experienced during military service. Veterans of all genders and from all types of backgrounds have experienced MST. If you're having difficulties related to MST, we're here to support you in whatever way will help you best.

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Agent orange was used to get rid of enemy crops during the Vietnam war but exposure to this chemical has been discovered to cause diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. As nurses it is important we be aware of this as our patients are eligible to receive compensation and treatment coverage. We must first assess of our patients have been exposed to the agent by conducting an interview and assessing signs and symptoms.

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Agent Orange_Management of Patients Exposed in Vietnam

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I am including this suicide facts list provided by our professor because I think it is important that we are aware of how big an issue suicide is among the veteran community. Suicide is already the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S, what percentage of this is veterans?...

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The Hamilton Anxiety Scale for anxiety and the Behavioral Activity Rating Scale (BARS) for agitation were combined to create the Hermes-Deakin Suicide Risk Assessment

PTSD assessment (patients are 6x more likely to commit suicide with a positive diagnosis of PTSD)

Other mental health issues increase the risk for suicide, such as depression and substance abuse.

The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) which is a self eval test

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Veterans often commit suicide because after losing so many brothers and sisters they start self isolating when they return home because they feel scared to lose the people they love. They also feel like no one understands them but their fellow veterans which causes more self isolation. As nurses it is important that we be empathetic and understanding to our veteran patients because we do not know what they are feeling and what they have endured during their time of service.

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How to end veteran suicide | Ron Self | TEDxSanQuentin

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Families are a crucial factor regarding patients health. They can be a positive tool in many ways such as encouraging and being active role in the patients care, but they can also harm the patients progress. I learned that it is important to assess the way the family interacts with the patient, and the way the patient interacts with the family. this helps us determine the type of relationship the patient has with their family and how it will affect their plan of care.

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Family Focused Nursing Care_Ch02_Denham (1) (1)

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Using an ecological model is important when caring for the patient and their families. This perspective is important because it allows the nurse to consider multiple aspects of the patients health. "An ecological model considers the patients relationships, experiences, community and beliefs and much more. This allows nurses to look at the big picture and not just focus on the patients physical health, but rather their overall health." (michelle carvajal)