AJN’s July Issue: Caring for Veterans, Managing IBS, Reducing Readmission Rates, More

AJN0713.Cover.OnlineAJN’s July issue is now available on our Web site. Here’s a selection of what not to miss.

On our cover this month, U.S. Air Force first lieutenant Georganne Hassell is photographed during a presence patrol in Qalat City in southern Afghanistan. According to a 2011 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs report, America’s Women Veterans: Military Service History and VA Benefit Utilization Statistics, by 2035, women will make up 15% of all living U.S. veterans. For more on the health issues of women troops and women veterans, see this month’s editorial.

And for an overview of how to recognize and assess veterans’ unique health care issues, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), military sexual trauma, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injury, see our continuing education (CE) feature “Enhancing Veteran-Centered Care: A Guide for Nurses in Non-VA Settings.” This article, which also lists useful resources offering tools, educational materials, and veteran services, can earn you 3.1 CE credits. If you’re reading AJN on your iPad, you can listen to a podcast interview with the authors by clicking on the podcast icon on the first page of the article. The podcast is also available on our Web site.

The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is estimated to be around 5% to 10% in North American, and it is diagnosed more often in people under the age of 50. No single drug effectively relieves all IBS symptoms. “Managing […]

Veterans, Nurses, and PTSD

By Maureen Shawn Kennedy, AJN editor-in-chief

Vietnam Women’s Memorial, Washington, DC. Courtesy of Kay Schwebke.

Veteran’s Day was officially yesterday, November 11, but many will mark it today with a day off from work and school and for some reason, shopping. I’m not sure when or why Veterans Day became associated with bargains, but it seems especially out of place this year, as we hear more and more about the issues being faced by the thousands of new veterans. As I note in my November editorial, an Institute of Medicine report estimates that 13% to 20% of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan “have or may develop PTSD.”

Last month, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Brigadier General (Ret.) Bill Bester, former chief of the Army Nurse Corps. I interviewed General Bester about his career and veterans’ health issues. The general was engaging and candid about the difficulties returning veterans face and he spoke about the post-deployment transition period that can be difficult for returning veterans.

He also spoke about his current activities as a senior advisor for the Jonas Foundation’s Veterans Healthcare Program, which supports scholarships for nurses pursuing doctoral degrees related to veteran-specific health issues. The program supports nurses pursuing both PhD as well as DNP degrees and hopes to focus on researching the issues as well as implementing best practices.

With many veterans accessing care outside the VA system, it’s important for nurses in all […]

2016-11-21T13:08:55-05:00November 12th, 2012|Nursing|0 Comments
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