Honoring National Heroes with Good Nursing Care for Veterans

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, there are 18.2 million veterans living in the United States today. This represents about 6 percent of the total adult population. No matter which practice setting you currently work in as a nurse or other healthcare worker, you are likely to encounter veterans — some who may need specialized nursing care. 

Providing good nursing care for veterans may require a special skill set. For nurses working with veterans, it's important to both honor the service of our nation’s heroes and try to understand past and present impacts on their physical and mental health. 

According to VA.gov, a veteran is defined as any person who has served in active military, naval or air service who was discharged or released from duty under conditions other than those deemed dishonorable. 

Not all veterans are eligible for VA hospital care, and not all veterans are currently listed in the VA system. One of the most important questions you can ask to ensure you are providing the appropriate nursing care for veterans is, “Have you served in the military?”. This simple question asked to each patient your encounter will provide important insight in how to best move forward with good nursing care. 

In fact, this question is deemed so important, the American Academy of Nursing has built an entire initiative around it called the “Have You Ever Served” initiative. The initiative focuses on improving the health of veterans and offers nurses and other healthcare providers important information about what they should ask and what to look for when caring for veteran patients. 

>> Download a clinician pocket card for Have You Ever Served here

Asking each patient you encounter this simple question opens the door to more conversation that could help with overall nursing care for veterans as they are identified. 

What are you looking for when asking if someone has served? 

As nurses working with veterans who have been identified after posing the “have you ever served” question, you are looking for health and well-being concerns. According to HaveYouEverServed.com, there are a few general areas of concern including post-traumatic stress disorder, blast concussions, military sexual trauma, physical stress traumatic brain injuries, various types of exposure (radiation, nuclear, Agent Orange, etc.), and a heightened risk of suicide. (Veterans are 72 percent more likely to commit suicide than civilians.) 

Again, not all veterans will be listed in the Veteran Affairs system. This makes proper identification even more important when providing nursing care for veterans. 

Key Skills Needed to Provide Good Nursing Care for Veterans

Many of our veterans have health and well-being concerns that are not as common among civilians. There are several skill sets that are vital to providing good nursing care for veterans such as leadership, critical thinking, and empathy. Nurses working with veterans may also want to have advanced knowledge of combat injuries and understand the sensitivity of discussing issues that may trigger PTSD. 

Leadership

Nurses working with veterans must possess strong leadership skills and be able to present themselves with confidence to build patient trust. This trust will ensure that veteran patients are more likely to share information about their mental and physical health and will lead to better outcomes. It is extremely important to be honest and have a positive approach to patient care in your efforts to provide good nursing care for veterans. 

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is an important skill when working with any type of patient, and it is also extremely important for nurses working with veterans. Using critical thinking skills may help you spot subtle changes in health that may indicate changes in mental health or the development of substance abuse. The ability to think critically and apply knowledge of nursing care for veterans can and does save lives. 

Interpersonal Skills

As a nurse, you will likely be one of the first people a veteran encounters when seeking medical care. This means you will need to accurately receive and relay information and do so with a heightened level of empathy. Your ability to clearly communicate with our nation’s heroes will help you develop better relationships as you provide good nursing care. 

Advance Knowledge of Combat Injuries

Many of our veterans have experienced combat injuries, both in the past and more recently. Having an advanced knowledge of combat injuries and how they can impact patients in the short- and long-term will help you provide better nursing care for veterans. 

Emotional Intelligence

Nurses working with veterans should have a heightened emotional intelligence. It’s important to be aware of how your own body language and tone of voice may be perceived, as well as how common noises in the hospital might impact veteran patients who may be suffering from PTSD. 

Get the education you need to provide good nursing care for veterans

It’s a fact that more education and experience in nursing means you are more likely to provide good nursing care for veterans and all patients. Get the education you need to be the best nurse you can be while caring for our veterans. 

Whether you need to make a move from LPN to RN, LPN to BSN, CNA to RN, Paramedic to RN, or other nursing programs; Achieve provides flexible, online programs that you can complete while you continue to work and provide good nursing care for veterans.

Caring for our nation’s heroes is an honor that not all nurses get to experience. For those nurses working with veterans the rewards far outweigh any difficulties you encounter. Listen to the stories, soak up the wisdom they have to share, and strive to always provide the best nursing care for veterans possible.