Teaching Culturally Competent Veteran Nursing Care in Prelicensure Programs

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Disparities
• Cultural Competence in Nursing
• Veteran Health

Background:

• Healthy People 2020 broadened the definition of health disparities beyond traditional minority groups.
• Veterans represent a distinct population with unique experiences, values, health risks, and potential disparities.
• Culturally competent care is mandated in nursing education, but recognition of veteran culture is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if nurse faculty perceive veterans as a distinct cultural group.
• To assess the foundational understanding necessary for providing culturally competent care to veterans.

Main Methods:

• This study likely involved surveying or interviewing nurse faculty regarding their perceptions of veteran culture.
• The methodology focused on understanding faculty awareness and recognition of veteran-specific cultural attributes.

Main Results:

• Findings indicate a potential gap in nurse faculty's recognition of veterans as a distinct cultural group.
• This lack of recognition may impede the effective delivery of culturally competent care to the veteran population.

Conclusions:

• Recognizing veterans as a distinct culture is a critical first step for nursing education and practice.
• Further education and awareness initiatives are needed to ensure nurse faculty provide appropriate care to veterans.
• Addressing this gap is essential for reducing health disparities among veterans.