Two types of health needs returning veterans and their families need
Returning veterans and their families face complex health challenges. The two types of health needs they require include mental and occupational health. Concerning mental health needs, nearly a third of returning veterans report mental health issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, mood disturbances, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Oster et al., 2017). Studies demonstrate post-traumatic stress disorder to be the main mental health issue affecting nearly 24 percent of the veterans (Oster et al., 2017). Most hospitalized veterans for PTSD also suffer from other comorbid mental health issues such as drug dependence (Oster et al., 2017). Another mental health concern for this population includes suicide and suicidal thoughts that affects both returning veterans and their families (Oster et al., 2017). Veterans suffering from mental health issues are more prone to having suicidal thoughts than those who do not.
Regarding occupational health, returning veterans and their families face challenges when attempting to reintegrate to the community. It is vital to facilitate the transition, reintegration, coping, and readjustment, and community integration of this population. Reintegration issues mostly involve resuming roles in the workplace, community, and family (Elnitsky et al., 2017). Personal issues include mental and physical health issues, personal identity issues, self-care issues, isolation feelings, and individual spirituality issue (Elnitsky et al., 2017). Interpersonal issues include lack of social support, family and relationship reintegration issues, social engagement issues, and social functioning and relationships (Elnitsky et al., 2017). Community issues entail productivity challenges in school or work and community belonging and involvement issues. Societal issues include physical fights and unlawful behavior (Elnitsky et al., 2017). The reintegration for this population is usually a period of personal difficulty and stress. The time after returning from active duty is related to issues such as tensions at work, family, and personal domains, which may exacerbate the stress conditions related to deployment. These issues represent challenges that adversely affect the occupational health of this population.
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How I, as a psychiatric nurse practitioner would advocate for the needs of this population
There are various ways of advocating for the needs of this population. For instance, I can advocate for the provision of sensitive care specifically for this population. When providing care to this population, it is important to first understand who returning veterans and their families are through interviewing them to understand the unique nature of their experiences, potential hazard exposures, and the kind of health challenges they have or are concerned about (Perkins et al., 2020). Obtaining this information offers vital details about the history and needs of this population and ensures that the nurse can connect them to the required resources. Returning veterans and their families also face different barriers to care such as personal beliefs, socioeconomic challenges, and structural challenges (Perkins et al., 2020). They need, nevertheless, to access adequate health care. Nurses can advocate for this population by educating themselves regarding the unique needs of the population to identify and break false beliefs and myths regarding this population. In turn, they will ensure that the population accesses the care they require.
The type of advocacy skills needed and how to develop them
The required advocacy skills include decision making, negotiating, leadership, and communication skills. Nurse advocates work with different groups such as families, legal entities, and medical teams to support patients. They must, therefore, know the regulations and laws affecting health care and options for treating these patients. They must also possess strong communication skills and compassion when attempting to understand the unique needs of the patients (Choi, 2015). Nurses can develop these skills by learning more about them through extra education such as through pursuing a Master of Science degree in nursing-related programs. These programs help nurses to develop and reinforce their advocacy skills. A nurse can develop a knowledge base of policy and medical practice besides learning about ways of driving positive change. Another way that nurses can develop their advocacy skills is through learning more about existing patient and their health care problems. They can do this by actively participating in at least one professional nursing organization that focuses on the healthcare needs of returning veterans and their families and being involved in both the local and countrywide conversation about the future of veterans’ health care. Being involved with these organizations may also entail volunteering to serve on boards to influence healthcare policy.
The responsibility of a nurse to be an advocate
The main responsibilities of a nurse to be an advocate include preserve human dignity, enhance patient equality, and promote freedom from suffering. Patients and families face anxiety and confusion in numerous medical situations (Choi, 2015). In these situations, nurses can enhance human dignity by assisting patients to navigate unfamiliar cases through communicating with physicians. Nurses can also help by educating patients about different procedures and tests. Nurses, however, care for different kinds of patients, which require them to learn about the ways ethnicity and culture, affect the experiences of patients. While doing this, they should also comply with privacy laws. The unique position of nurses enables them to focus on all patient care aspects to ensure that providers address patient concerns, uphold standards, and focus on positive outcomes.
Additionally, the constant changes in the healthcare system in terms of technological advancement and organization requires nurses to promote patient safety. The changes come with different laws related to health care delivery, which requires a nurse to familiarize themselves with the changes and advocate for patients. The advocacy should focus on respect for human dignity, compassion and uniqueness and worth of every patient (Choi, 2015). Besides, the economic or social status, the nature of health issues, and personal attributes should not restrict nurses when advocating for patients.
Moreover, nurses are responsible for ensuring that patients are free from pain. The desire of nurses when entering the nursing profession is to assist others. The core aspect of assisting others to manage or hinder suffering is a key part of the desire to be a nurse (Choi, 2015). Nurses must advocate for the well-being of both patients and families to maintain the key aspect of patient care that includes ensuring that patients are free from pain.
References
Choi, P. P. (2015). Patient advocacy: the Role of the Nurse. Nursing Standard (2014+) , 29 (41), 52.
Elnitsky, C. A., Fisher, M. P., & Blevins, C. L. (2017). Military Service Member and Veteran Reintegration: a Conceptual Analysis, Unified Definition, and Key Domains. Frontiers in psychology , 8 , 369.
Oster, C., Morello, A., Venning, A., Redpath, P., & Lawn, S. (2017). The Health and Wellbeing Needs of Veterans: a Rapid Review. BMC psychiatry , 17 (1), 414.
Perkins, D. F., Aronson, K. R., Morgan, N. R., Bleser, J. A., Vogt, D., Copeland, L. A., ... & Gilman, C. (2020). Veterans’ Use of Programs and Services as they Transition to Civilian Life: Baseline Assessment for the Veteran Metrics Initiative. Journal of Social Service Research , 46 (2), 241-255.
