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Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence‐based 12‐week Tai Chi course designed to improve balance and physical function in a population of older veterans. Methods: Community dwelling veterans of all ages with gait and balance problems were invited to participate in the Tai Chi program. Participants completed the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and the Falls Efficacy Scale‐International (FES‐I) at baseline and again at the end of the program. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize study participants' characteristics. The change from baseline to the end of the 12‐week program was calculated for each of the three primary outcome variables (BBS, TUG, FES‐I). Results: Twenty‐two veterans, aged 58 years and above, with perceived gait and/or balance issues were enrolled in the program with completion by 11 veterans. Veterans who completed their final assessments showed the BBS, improved significantly (p = 0.004) from baseline to the 12‐week assessment. The TUG scores improved by a median of 1.3 s (p = 0.022). There was not a significant change in the FES‐I. Conclusions: Preliminary findings provide evidence of the effectiveness of a 12‐week Tai Chi program to improve functional outcomes for older veterans with mild to moderate gait and balance problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this nurse‐led project was to increase the number of interprofessional Tai Chi instructors for veterans through a 5‐week (32 hours) training of trainers (ToT) course led by a Tai Chi master trainer. Methods: This project was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of using the ToT model to increase the availability of Tai Chi to veterans. To understand how well the ToT course met learners' needs, a two‐phase course evaluation was conducted. Results: Fifteen interprofessional employees enrolled in and completed the course. Most learners were white (67%) females (67%) with a median age of 50 years. All agreed that the training provided the skills, materials, and confidence to lead Tai Chi classes. Most (93%) indicated experiencing positive health benefits from the training and none experienced any negative effects. The 3‐month follow‐up evaluation indicated that 10 (67%) were teaching veterans in individual or group classes with two others assisting. Twelve instructors taught more than 150 veterans. Conclusions: Overall, learners evaluated this ToT course positively and indicated their needs were met and felt prepared to teach Tai Chi despite being inexperienced. The course was a success with 80% of new instructors teaching or coteaching Tai Chi to veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]