Examining the Capacity of Registered Nurses to Deliver Culturally Competent Health Care to Veterans and Their Families

Abstract

Background: Although more than 75% of veterans and their families are accessing care in non-Veterans Affairs (VA) settings, there is little information about health care workers, specifically registered nurses (RNs)' ability to provide culturally competent and appropriate care to military veterans and their families. Purpose: The purpose was to examine the capacity of RNs working in non-VA hospitals to deliver culturally competent health care to military veterans and their families. Methods: A prospective survey design was carried out with nurses from a large academic health system. The RAND Corporation's Ready to Serve web-based survey was adapted with permission for use with RNs employed in civilian urban and community hospitals. In addition to reporting descriptive statistics on demographics and each individual item, a score was calculated to define high cultural competency. Results: Twenty-five (4%) RNs demonstrated the capacity to deliver culturally competent health care. Conclusions: This study revealed significant gaps in the capacity of nurses to deliver culturally competent care to military veterans and their families.

Veteran Competencies in Nursing Textbooks: Implications for Educators

“…Mentioning basic facts and statistics or providing minimal context in two sentences or less limits students' ability to competently care for this population. Thus, this review lends credence to assertions that nurses do not have the KSAs needed to care for veterans effectively (Bonzanto et al, 2019;Elliott, 2018;Maiocco et al, 2018;Mohler & Sankey-Deemer, 2017;Vest et al, 2019). Until nursing textbooks improve the quantity and quality of military/veteran content, faculty must make deliberate efforts to address and enhance prelicensure nursing education and achieve the necessary veteran care competencies.…”

“…Nurses practicing in every care setting encounter veterans from all age cohorts, various war eras, and health issues unique to military service. A growing body of evidence suggests that nurses may lack the essential knowledge, skills, or attitudes (KSAs) necessary to provide culturally sensitive veteran-centered care (Bonzanto et al, 2019; Elliott, 2018; Maiocco et al, 2018; Mohler & Sankey-Deemer, 2017; Vest et al, 2019). Among those nurses currently practicing, it is unknown how many have had exposure to or education on the health care needs of military service members, veterans, and/or their families.…”