Integration of military and veteran health in a psychiatric mental health BSN curriculum: A mindful analysis

The military and veteran populations in the U. S. state of Hawaii have a strong presence in the local communities. It was this substantial presence that provided the impetus to integrate military and veteran health into a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum. This exploratory study investigated the relationship between the integration of military and veteran health into a psychiatric mental health BSN curriculum and nursing students' understanding of the many facets of military veterans' health. The concepts related to military and veterans' health was infused in didactic, seminar, simulation and clinical instruction. Examples of approaches to teaching include guest speakers from military clinical partners, inclusion of military/military families in simulation, the reading of evidence-based articles focusing on the military and veteran population, use of identification of problem based learning and clinical placements in hospital(s) and community agencies specific to servicing military and veterans and their families. Students were encouraged to record their reflections which provided some insight on the value of integration of this important segment into the curriculum. Classroom discussions and reflections were analyzed using an exploratory method of inquiry by categorizing themes which revealed some biases about the military and veteran population and how working with this population helped students to understand their health needs. Although the data is limited, it an important foundation for further exploration into the significance of the integration of military and veterans' health in a psychiatric mental health BSN nursing curriculum. The recommendation is to further include military and veterans' health across the curriculum in order to help future nursing graduates understand and evaluate their role in working with this distinctive population, recognize challenges and opportunities in working with this population and identify available evidence-based resources to inform their practice.