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Today in the U.S. there are more female military veterans than ever before. Female veterans report worse overall health than male veterans. Given the unique complexities of veteran healthcare issues, face-to-face experiences using simulated environments where students interact with veterans can support learning about the unique needs of veterans. The National League for Nursing Advancing Care Excellence for Veterans (ACE.V) has developed a series of case studies that can be used to train nursing students about veteran healthcare. This is a program evaluation that used qualitative analysis of students’ written responses to evaluate the effectiveness of a simulated opportunity. The simulated ACE.V case focused on Jenny Brown, a veteran of the Iraq conflict diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, now pregnant. A presentation by a veteran prior to the simulation enhanced the training. Three themes emerged following the training with the debriefing: (a) increased knowledge and confidence, (b) empathy for veterans, and (c) appreciation for the complexities of veteran care. We successfully used one ACE.V case scenario enhanced with a veteran speaker to introduce veteran healthcare to nursing students.

Background With patients becoming more complex and presenting with multiple comorbid diagnoses, exposing students to multidimensional care situations in a controlled, simulated environment is one way to better prepare nursing students to enter clinical practice. The National League for Nursing Advancing Care Excellence for Veterans (ACE.V) developed an unfolding case study of a pregnant veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder to train nursing students in a simulation laboratory. Method This is a descriptive evaluation of safety, communication, assessment, and educational intervention skills of 253 undergraduate nursing students undergoing training using the ACE.V in three simulated environments: in a short-stay mental health care unit, at home, and in an obstetrical unit. Results Across the four skill sets, students were most likely to achieve the communication skills. Students' skills improved as the case evolved through the three time-sequenced care environments. Conclusion The use of a simulated, evolving case scenario was an effective method of exposing nursing students to complex patient care.