American College of Nurse Practitioners

Obama, Biden Applaud Nursing's Commitment to "Joining Forces" 

Nurse practitioners joined the nation's first and second ladies, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, in Philadelphia last Wednesday to celebrate the commitment of the country's three million nurses to improve health care services for America's soldiers and their families with the "Joining Forces" program. 

"This is truly amazing what you're doing," Obama told the crowd of about 1,100 nurses, nursing students, nursing organization leaders, deans of nursing schools, and soldiers at the University of Pennsylvania. Obama said that more than 44,000 troops have suffered at least moderate brain injuries since 2000. One in six soldiers has had PTSD and similar numbers report depression after they get home. These emotional problems are "natural, normal human responses to the violence of war," she said. 

ACNP is a "Joining Forces" program partner in the efforts of 150 nursing organizations and 450 nursing schools pledged to train current and future nurses to treat soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, post-deployment depression, and other visible and invisible wounds of war. Several members of ACNP leadership are VA NPs and have experience treating wounded servicemen and women. Current ACNP Treasurer, Mary Eng Huntsinger RN, MSN, CNS, ACNP-BC, had this say about ACNP's partnership with Joining Forces: 

"As a Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), I have the privilege of caring for those who serve our country. I am a provider in the Patient Aligned Care Team (VA's medical home) and have my own panel of patients. As a primary care provider, I see many of our veterans who come back from recent tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Southwest Arab regions. Many have been exposed to a variety of blast or traumatic injuries which increases their risk of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). At the VA, we have continuing education for nurses and all providers on evaluating and treating TBI, PTSD, and a variety of other conditions for our returning veterans. VA utilizes a multi-disciplinary team approach with trained mental health providers, post-deployment and rehabilitation specialists, and primary care and other specialty teams in helping our veterans and their families deal with many psychosocial and medical conditions." 

ACNP Past President, Marsha Siegel EdD, FNP-C, added this statement: 

"It is my honor to serve those who served our nation, and I am delighted that the White House is focusing on the VERY important roles that nurses have in caring for these courageous men and women. Advanced Practice Nurses are in the forefront in many areas of care in the VA system, including making up over a third of the primary care provider roles in both medicine and mental health. 

My role in the VA system as a Compensation and Pension Medical Examiner is to interview new veterans and perform a comprehensive physical exam relating to conditions that they have incurred as a result of their service to our country." "Policy In Action" American College of Nurse Practitioners 

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