Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Evaluation of Tumor-infiltrating Leukocyte Subsets in a Subcutaneous Tumor Model
Published on: April 13, 2015
An Innovative Nurse Navigator Approach to Screen For and Address Social Needs in a Veterans Health Administration
Marguerite Daus1, Laurie Pfeiffer2, Meaghan A Kennedy3,4
1Denver/Seattle Center of Innovation, VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System, Denver, CO.
Background:
Women Veterans are the fastest-growing population in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), but little is known about how to identify and address their social needs. This program evaluation examined the implementation of a social screening and referral initiative, Assessing Circumstances and Offering Resources for Needs (ACORN), using nurse navigators in a VHA women's health clinic.
Objectives:
(1) Describe the implementation process and outcome measures, (2) assess the prevalence of women Veterans' social needs, (3) characterize nurse navigators' perceptions of ACORN, and (4) document implementation challenges and adaptations.
Research Design:
Program evaluation with qualitative and quantitative data collected between March 2023 and November 2024. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize sociodemographic characteristics and social needs of Veterans screened.
Subjects:
Veterans receiving continuity care at a women's health clinic in a midwestern VHA hospital.
Results:
Nurse navigators completed ACORN screens with 291 Veterans, with 67% screening positive. The most frequently reported needs were social isolation/loneliness (49%), utilities (17%), transportation (14%), and digital needs (13%). Nurse navigators and the nurse site champion reported that ACORN enhanced their understanding of patients' social needs and their ability to address these needs. They also reported seamless integration of ACORN into existing workflows.
Conclusions:
Findings show early insights into women Veterans' unique social needs. An innovative nurse navigator approach to social screening in a VHA women's health clinic was feasible, had high likelihood of sustainment, and improved nurses' ability to care for their patients. This indicates strong potential for expanding nurse navigator roles both within and outside VHA.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:23International Nursing Organizations I
ICN member organizations work to advance the field of nursing and healthcare via policies, partnerships, lobbying, professional...
01:27Nursing Clinical Information System
A Nursing Clinical Information System (NCIS) is a specialized type of healthcare information system tailored to meet the unique needs of nursing practice. It incorporates the principles of nursing informatics to streamline information management and improve the quality of care delivery.
Critical attributes of NCIS include:
01:15Nursing Implementation
The five steps to implementing effective nursing care include reassessing the patient, reviewing and revising the existing nursing care plan, organizing the resources and care delivery, anticipating and preventing complications, and implementing nursing interventions.
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
01:29Nursing Interventions II: Selecting and Classifying the Nursing Interventions
01:21Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution itself.