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Improving Healthcare for Veterans & Military Families

First Ladies hail nursing's commitment to service members.

By Scott Hatfield

Last updated on: April 23, 2012 | Posted on: April 17, 2012

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Representatives of leading nurse organizations and nursing schools rallied with First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, in Philadelphia during an event announcing an educational plan for improving healthcare for veterans and military families by 2015.

Part of the "Joining Forces" campaign launched by Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden last year, the latest development in the initiative features more than 150 state and national nursing organizations and over 500 nursing schools that have committed to teach and train the nation's 3 million nurses to meet the specific health needs of the service and veterans population.

"All of you have a critically important role to play in this mission, and it's not just because you are all nurses, it is because you are good citizens and you have that compassion," the First Lady said, standing on stage at the University of Pennsylvania's Irvine Auditorium.

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST: First Lady Michelle Obama announces a commitment from nurses to serve veterans and military families. Photo by Scott Hatfield

In her remarks, Mrs. Obama explained the majority of troops and veterans return home from war with few or no mental health challenges, but many do experience so-called invisible wounds of war known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-deployment depression.

Since 2000, more than 44,000 of America's military troops have sustained at least moderate traumatic brain injuries, the First Lady said. Studies, she added, show that 1 in 6 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have reported symptoms of PTSD; similar numbers have reported signs of post-deployment depression.

"These combat-related mental health challenges are natural, normal human responses to the violence of war; they are not in any way a sign of weakness, and they should never be a source for shame or a cause of stigma," she said.

Led by the American Nurses Association, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National League for Nursing, in coordination with the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, nursing organizations and schools are committed. (story continues below)

"You have offered your hand to us as nurses, and we are honored to join you," said Afaf I. Meleis, PhD, DrPS(hon), FAAN, Dean, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. "So in joining forces, we extend our reach to embrace your courage and your forward thinking. We pledge that we can and we will do it."

Healthcare professionals who have received extensive training in mental health issues often treat veterans seeking care within the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system. However, the majority of veterans in the country seek care outside of the VA system. In efforts to have skilled providers at any point of entry into the healthcare system, Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden are looking to reach nurses, America's single largest healthcare workforce.

"Nurses are at the center of providing lifesaving care in communities across the country - and their reach is particularly important because our veterans don't always seek care through the VA system," Mrs. Biden said.

Lieutenant Commander Pamela Herbig Wall, NC, USN, PMHNP-BC, said nurses in federal healthcare facilities, community clinics, hospitals and doctors' offices are seeing more service members and veterans with physical wounds, pain, TBI and PTSD and other mental health issues.

"That is why it is so critical that America's nurses get the education and information they need to recognize and treat these conditions," she said. As a result, nursing leaders have also committed to disseminating effective models for care and to sharing the most up-to-date information across academic and practice settings. A goal is to ensure that nurses in every community have access to the most current, evidence based treatments and resources on PTSD and TBI.

"So I look forward to working with all of you to ensure that our veterans and military families get the world-class care that they deserve," Mrs. Obama said.

For more on the "Joining Forces" campaign click here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces

Scott Hatfield is multimedia editor of www.ADVANCEweb.com. Contact him at shatfield@advanceweb.com.

The VA could be an awesome organization if they knew what a waste of money is occurring at these hospitals. The vets tell me the prefer not to go there because of the care they receive from physicians who do not speak English well. And it happens that VA will not accept their patients when a transfer is suggested. Hope someone is looking and want to improve this system. I am giving them my hard earned money of which I have less and less. They need to be held accountable like other hospitals

Mary Ann Davis, Staff nurse, Holzer	April 23, 2012
Jackson, OH

I am a nurse that was the first to graduate from nursing shool after being paralyzed at the age of 17 years ld, losing my parents while in Nursing school as well as sufering from sexual trauma as a child. Well I was recruited to eave y cofort zone in Raleigh, Nc to work with returning soldiers with spinal cord injuries. Not to mention when I ot shot I was 37b days frommy 18t birtday ready to enroll in the United States MArine Corp my dream was shattered when I became paralyzed and so I decided being a nurse I can serve the soldiers whom i never got t serve with due to guns in the streets. Upon my arrial at the VA I have been harrased and bullyied to the point i am ready to change my profession but you know what I todl myself that I came hereto serve my soldiers with all diligence, honour and respect and I will not let these hostile set n there ways people stop me. My first dayin the floor I was told to do whatever it takes to get a pay check and this is how things is around and assimilate or you will find yourself out the door. I see wh the Veterns go other places for their care. Futhermoe I hope the real problrm eithin the VA system is corrected and I plan on takin my case all the way to Washington and plan on sedning certified letters because the nurse that as trainig me told me when she was told she would be trainig a nurse in wheelchair she stated what is he goingto do wit me and what can I do and she and her clique theyhave a bunch of that there would not check off my competency sheet I grduated from a HIGHLY prestige College of NUrsing if anyone would like you can goolge my name with the word Pulse, my college alumni magazine and you can find m story.

Latisha Anderson, Registered Nurse, Charlie Norwood Veterans Administration Medical Ce	April 21, 2012
Augusta, GA

I injured my back when I was in the Army 1976-1979, Ft. Ord, CA; 1977 at Ft Sill, OK my son was diagnosed with a terminal disease. I feel this caused me to suffer PTSD and I continue to suffer with bouts of depression. I tried to seek help at Tuscaloosa VAMC in 1980 - 1981 after discharge from the Army which was unsuccessful because of wait time for getting seen. I have since been able to enroll for healthcare in 1996 to present but noone seems to think my health problems are service-connected and I have constantly been denied application for any pension. However, many veterans today are beening approved for service-connection pension easily simply by word of mouth. How is this fair? I was never referred for mental health services during the time in service when I really needed it the most. I was constantly reminder the "the Army takes care of it's own." A LIE!

Elizabeth Lightfoot, 205-392-5263, Hill Hospital of York	April 18, 2012
York, AL

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