Content area
Full Text
Approximately 300,000 service members were expected to separate from the military in 20122017 (U.S. Department of Labor, 20İ2). These Veterans have essential skills that can be used within health care and nursing. Due to the training received by many Veterans, especially medics, healthcare specialists, and corpsmen, nursing is a perfect match for their continued educational progression ("Top Ten College Degrees for Veterans," 2018). Moreover, given the current shortage of nurses in most areas of the country (American Nurses Association, n.d.), recruitment of Veterans into nursing can help fill this healthcare void. Activities are described as part of creating a Veteran to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) pathway that supports Veterans during their educational process to obtain their baccalaureate nursing degrees. Pathway development was supported and made possible by a grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA).
Awarding of Grant
In summer 2015, the project team was notified that the College of Nursing at Roseman University of Health Sciences (RUHS) had been awarded a 3-year cooperative agreement with HRSA to develop and implement programs that increase enrollment, progression, and graduation of Veterans in BSN degrees. See Table 1 for the goals of the VBSN pathway at RUHS.
Background
Returning service members frequently are underemployed or unemployed (D'Aoust, Rossiter, & Clochesy, 2016; Tivald & Kawashima, 2015). Over the next 5 years, the Armed Forces are expected to decrease by approximately 250,000 service members a year ("Difficult Transitions," 2014). This equates to increased enrollment of Veterans in higher education. However, the literature indicates Veterans may face barriers when seeking higher education and transitioning into the student role (Griffin & Gilbert, 2012; Sportsman & Thomas, 2015). Examples of barriers include difficulty in understanding and receiving financial aid, caring for family members, work obligations, a sense of alienation from other classmates, and possible perception of isolation (Reynolds, 2013). Creating supportive educational programs and processes for Veterans returning to the classroom thus becomes imperative within higher education.
Demographics of Veteran Population
The United States has 21.3 million Veterans representing approximately 9% of the population (Tivald & Kawashima, 2015). Tivald and Kawashima also noted Veterans are more likely to complete high school and attend college versus non-Veterans. Veterans under age 35 tend to have higher unemployment rates than...