Returning enlisted veterans-upward (to) professional nursing: not all innovative ideas succeed

Committing to my mission: Faculty experiences with student veterans in baccalaureate nursing education

Veterans transition to baccalaureate nursing education with significant experiences from their military service. Faculty play a role in facilitating this transition, in and out of the classroom. Approaches to enhance nursing education programs to better meet student veterans' needs have been proposed. However, less is known about the experiences of faculty teaching student veterans. A qualitative descriptive design was used to examine nursing faculty experiences teaching veterans, and in facilitating veterans' transfer of learning and knowledge from their military experience to baccalaureate nursing education. Semi-structured interviews with twelve faculty from the United States were conducted and data analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Three major themes included: committing to my mission, facilitating a shared understanding between military service and nursing, and appreciating a new duty. Results support faculty purposefully engaging in activities to increase their cultural sensitivity, while continuously developing humility and competence, to be successful teaching student veterans. Nursing faculty are positioned to leverage education as a means to improve the social status of veterans, ultimately improving their health and well-being, as well as academic success. It is recommended schools of nursing encourage and support faculty in attending professional development activities aimed at improving individual cultural sensitivity.

Baccalaureate Nursing Faculty Competencies and Teaching Strategies to Enhance the Care of the Veteran Population: Perspectives of Veteran Affairs Nursing Academy (VANA) Faculty

It is critical that faculty competencies, teaching strategies, and the essential knowledge relating to the care of our veterans be delineated and taught to health care professionals in order for our Veterans to receive optimal care. The purpose of this qualitative study was to ascertain from nursing faculty members who have worked extensively with veterans, the necessary faculty competencies, essential knowledge, and teaching strategies needed to prepare baccalaureate level nurses to provide individualized, quality, and holistic care to veterans. Six Veteran Affairs Nursing Academy faculty members participated in two 2-hour focus group sessions. There were a total of 12 multidimensional major concepts identified: 5 faculty competencies, 4 essential knowledge areas, and 3 teaching strategies specifically related to veteran care. The information generated can be used for faculty, staff, and or nurse development. Having a comprehensive understanding of veteran health care needs enable effective patient-centered care delivery to veterans, which is the gold standard in health care our veterans deserve.

Opportunities, hurdles, solutions, and approaches to transition military veterans into professional nursing programs

Capitalizing on the almost 2.2 million service members returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn (OIF) in Iraq, and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan, baccalaureate educators are encouraged to create realistic, applicable nursing transitional programs for the health and health-related oriented military veterans. Opportunities, hurdles, and solutions related to the veteran's unique socio-economic circumstances of education, finances, and advisement are provided so the potential veteran student is successful within the university's milieu. Transitional nursing educational interventions related to assessment, didactic, and clinical used by two baccalaureate nursing curriculums, including the eLineMilitary* (ELM) Program, provide approaches of how to propel the veteran's journey toward graduation in a professional nursing program. These interventions include modular didactic, competency based education, as well as the concentrated, collegial time within the Faculty/Clinical Coach triad for essential role modeling, care, and skills.