Thursday, May 18, 2017

Evaluation of Suicide Prevention Programs in Veterans Health Administration Facilities for Thursday, 18 May 2017 - Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) in Washington, D.C., United States

Evaluation of Suicide Prevention Programs in Veterans Health Administration Facilities for Thursday, 18 May 2017 - Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) in Washington, D.C., United States


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Evaluation of Suicide Prevention Programs in Veterans Health Administration Facilities
The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections completed an evaluation of suicide prevention programs in Veterans Health Administration facilities. The purpose of the review was to evaluate facility compliance with selected VHA guidelines for suicide prevention programs. We conducted this review at 28 Veterans Health Administration medical facilities during Combined Assessment Program reviews performed across the country from October 1, 2015, through March 31, 2016. We found that most facilities had a process for responding to referrals from the Veterans Crisis Line and a process to follow up on high-risk patients who missed appointments. Additionally, when patients died from suicide, facilities generally created issue briefs and when indicated, completed mortality reviews or behavioral autopsies and initiated root cause analyses. However, we identified system weaknesses in outreach activities, Suicide Prevention Safety Plan completion, content, and provision of copies, flagging records of high risk inpatients and notifying the Suicide Coordinator of the admission, evaluating high-risk inpatients during the 30 days after discharge, reviewing flagged high-risk outpatients every 90 days, and clinicians completing suicide risk management training within 90 days of hire. We made six recommendations.
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Register Now: May 25 VA Life Insurance Facebook Live Event for Thursday, 18 May 2017 - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., United States


#ExploreVA VA Life Insurance Benefits
  
May 25 from 3-4 p.m. ET
Get your questions answered about VA life insurance
Don't miss your chance to enroll in VA life insurance. Many Veterans find VA insurance to be a high-quality option and often the only option.
Learn more during the #ExploreVA Life Insurance Facebook Live event on May 25 starting at 3 p.m. ET on Got Your 6's Facebook page. Listen to VA and Got Your 6 as they discuss benefit options, eligibility requirements and critical application deadlines. They will answer questions posted as comments after the video and throughout the following day.
Participating is easy.
  • Visit Got Your 6's Facebook page on May 25 a few minutes before 3 p.m. ET.
  • The live video will begin on the hour. To watch the video discussion, you must refresh your page at 3 p.m. ET.
  • Click on the video, make sure it is unmuted and turn up your sound.
  • Type your questions into the comments section of the video.
Click the Register Now button below or visit our event page to sign up for event reminders. Check out Explore.VA.gov prior to the event to get the basics about life insurance and other VA benefits, and learn how to apply.
 
Register Now
 
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20420
 
                                                           

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Nurse scientists generate new knowledge for Air Force for Thursday, 18 May 2017 - Military Health System in Washington, D.C., United States

Health.mil
05/18/2017
Nurse scientists

Nurse scientists generate new knowledge for Air Force

Members of the of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron assist patients on medical transport flight out of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Air Force nurse scientists are conducting valuable research to improve en route patient care during aeromedical evacuations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Christopher Willis)
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Nurse scientists are nurses who have achieved a doctorate in nursing science, and engage in research to inform evidence based practices. The Air Force currently has only 12 nurse scientists on active duty, but they make a big contribution to Air Force Medicine.
“In the Air Force, nurse scientists are a small group of specially trained individuals, who conduct original research to generate new knowledge,” said Air Force Col. Susan Dukes, Commandant of the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. “Having a nurse scientist lead an inter-disciplinary research team helps create a blend of expertise to impact patient care, which is what we all want.”
Nurse scientists’ areas of research focus primarily on problems related to nursing care or experience. One example is research into pressure injuries in the en route care environment. Pressure injuries occur when a person is immobilized for a long time, and can lead to the skin breaking down, a potential problem for aeromedical evacuation patients.
“Pressure injuries and the reduction of pressure ulcers have traditionally been unique to nursing care,” said Dukes. “Our research looked at the risk factors that lead to the development of pressure ulcers in Critical Care Air Transport patients, who travel for a long time in tight circumstances. We looked at various interventions to remove pressure in the CCAT environment.”
CCAT plays a critical role in the aeromedical evacuation system, and cutting down on pressure injuries incurred during transport improves patient comfort and outcomes.
“This particular issue was identified by nurses on the CCAT teams as a problem,” said Dukes. “Our nurse scientists conducted research to determine how patients are developing pressure ulcers, and then additional research on how to prevent pressure ulcers.”
Air Force nurse scientists also conducted research into pain management for patients during en route care. A nurse scientist was on board air evacuation flights, observing and documenting how the care team treated pain.
“We often think of pain control as administering medication,” said Dukes. “For this study, the nurse scientist also observed the environment and interactions between the patient and care team. This let them identify barriers to patients’ pain being treated.”
The study found that during these flights, noise was a significant barrier to communication between providers and patients. When the results were presented to Air Mobility Command, they incorporated them into training programs for flight nurses and medical technicians to make them aware of this challenge.
Having a nurse’s perspective drives research that makes fast, tangible improvements in patient care. Working with practicing nurses, nurse scientists make real contributions to improving the outcomes for wounded, ill and injured service members.
“I’ve found that what really inspires people in my field is our passion for taking care of wounded warriors,” said Dukes. “Whether it’s in the back of an airplane or in a deployed environment, working in the military can be really tough. It’s difficult physically and mentally, but nurses and nurse scientists are a group of true professionals who are really committed to the health and welfare of our service members.”
Disclaimer: Re-published content may have been edited for length and clarity. Read original post. 

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Race for the Zika Vaccine: The Army Advantage

When the Zika virus emerged as a global threat, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research drew on its deep expertise in protecting Soldiers against malaria, Ebola and other flaviviruses, to develop the ZPIV vaccine in just six months. Watch to learn about the unique capabilities vaccinologists in the U.S. Army brought to the fight against Zika.

Race for the Zika Vaccine: The Army Advantage

When the Zika virus emerged as a global threat, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research drew on its deep expertise in protecting Soldiers against malaria, Ebola and other flaviviruses, to develop the ZPIV vaccine in just six months. Watch to learn about the unique capabilities vaccinologists in the U.S. Army brought to the fight against Zika.
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