title: Military Culture Implications for Mental Health and Nursing Care.
abstract: With over 13 years of war and military combat operations, the number of veterans, military families, and service members with mental health needs continues to increase across civilian and federal healthcare services. Knowledge about severe battle wounds, traumatic brain injury, and traumatic stress has influenced the delivery of healthcare. The invisible wounds of war associated with brain injury and traumatic stress will increase clinical care challenges into the foreseeable future. The purpose of this article is to describe two interrelated concepts, military cultural competence and stress injuries. The authors also differentiate stress reactions versus stress injury. Nurses with military cultural competence and knowledge about stress injuries will be better able to deliver patient-centered care to patients with military culture experiences.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Westphal
authors.forename: Sean P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Convoy
mesh_terms: D000068337:Armed Conflicts / Q000523:psychology*; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000451:nursing; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000451:nursing; D065246:Culturally Competent Care; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D066067:Military Family; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D024802:Nurse's Role; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000451:nursing; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology