Caring for Military Children: Implications for Nurse Practitioners

Nearly two million American children belong to a military family. Armed Forces families are located in almost every state and around the globe. Military children are a unique and at times vulnerable population. Military children and adolescents may face significant stressors throughout their lives compared to their civilian counterparts. Military families encounter frequent moves and over half of these children have encountered at least one parental deployment since September 11th, 2001. Civilian health care providers often care for military children and adolescents. The purpose of this article is to provide pediatric providers with an understanding of the deployment cycle and how it relates to childhood development, to discuss common military stressors and their impact on the family, and to describe strategies and resources pediatric providers can utilize to care for this unique population.