Evaluation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services

Evaluation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services PDF

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2018-03-29

Total Pages: 467

ISBN-13: 0309466601

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Approximately 4 million U.S. service members took part in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Shortly after troops started returning from their deployments, some active-duty service members and veterans began experiencing mental health problems. Given the stressors associated with war, it is not surprising that some service members developed such mental health conditions as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and substance use disorder. Subsequent epidemiologic studies conducted on military and veteran populations that served in the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq provided scientific evidence that those who fought were in fact being diagnosed with mental illnesses and experiencing mental healthâ€"related outcomesâ€"in particular, suicideâ€"at a higher rate than the general population. This report provides a comprehensive assessment of the quality, capacity, and access to mental health care services for veterans who served in the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn. It includes an analysis of not only the quality and capacity of mental health care services within the Department of Veterans Affairs, but also barriers faced by patients in utilizing those services.

Realizing the Future of Nursing: VA Nurses Tell Their Story

Realizing the Future of Nursing: VA Nurses Tell Their Story PDF

Author: Department of Veteran Affairs Nurses

Publisher: Government Printing Office

Published: 2015-09-29

Total Pages: 713

ISBN-13: 0160930278

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The stories told in this book reflect the hard work and dedication of the Veterans Affairs nurses who provide care to our nation’s heroes. Four key messsages outlined in the book help explain the important role of VA nurses. Key Message 1: Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training; Key Message 2: Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression; Key Message 3: Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health care professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States; Key Message 4: Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and an improved information structure. This book addresses the staffing issues in military healthcare with policy and workforce planning towards an improved information structure between the nurses, healthcare professionals, and physicians. Keywords: Department of Veterans Affairs nursing program; Veteran Affairs (VA) nursing; nurses; Veterans Affairs nursing education progrm; VA nursing education program; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; u.s. department of veterans affairs; va; VA; staffing issues in military healthcare.

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