Happy Veteran’s Day! NPs Give Back to Those Who Serve

Happy Veteran’s Day!  Let’s take a moment today to remember those who have served our country, to honor those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and to thank the families of members of our military who give up so much allowing their loved ones to deploy.  As nurse practitioners, we have a unique opportunity to serve current and former members of our military.  How can we honor veterans through our practice?

Battle inflicts both emotional and physical wounds on our troops.  Returning home from overseas is not always the relief it would seem for many veterans as they continue to be plagued by memories of war.  PTSD affects about 1 in 6 of our troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, more than 300,000 veterans.  Many soldiers suffer from physical ailments such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) which can result in life-long physical disability.  As nurse practitioners, let’s review the treatment guidelines for these diagnoses this week so we are adequately prepared to treat our veterans.  Let’s make ourselves aware of resources for veterans in our community so we can make recommendations for additional support services.  If we all sacrifice just a little time this week, we can provide a wealth of information and support to those who have given up much more for us as individuals and as a country.

Looking for a more involved way to serve our country?  Become part of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs hospital system yourself.  VA hospitals are always hiring nurse practitioners for positions in primary care, mental health and a variety of specialties.  Check out VA job postings to see if you can serve our veterans on a daily basis through your career.

The U.S. Department of State along with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines also hire NP’s to provide medical care for members of our military both at home and abroad.  These positions offer excellent salaries as well as benefits such as loan repayment.  They are a great career option and might just supply an sense of adventure to your NP career.

Whether you simply educate yourself about PTSD and TBI to improve the care you provide our veterans or look into serving directly with the military, remember our veterans today through your NP practice.

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