Joining Forces - UB

In 2011, then First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative calling all Americans to rally around service members, veterans, and their families and support them through wellness, education, and employment opportunities.

To ensure that our service members, veterans, and their families have access to resources that enhance their well-being, many schools of nursing across the country including UB School of Nursing supported this initiative with a commitment to educate their students about the unique physical and mental health needs of service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers.

UB School of Nursing offers an option for students who want to make a positive impact on U.S. veterans and military families. In alignment with the national “Joining Forces” initiative, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students in the Adult-Gerontology, Family, Psychiatric/Mental Health or Anesthetist programs can choose to focus on military culture and population-focused care through coursework and clinical experiences.

The Veteran and Military Family (VMF) Focus provides an opportunity for UB DNP students interested in working with veterans and/or military family members to receive specialized education and preparation related to this population.

• The Veteran and Military Family (VMF) curriculum focus provides an opportunity for the UB graduate nursing student to provide focused care to veterans and their military family members by developing, implementing, and measuring interventions as per the DNP role.
• The VMF Focus offers a unique introduction to the military culture of the U.S. Armed Forces and provides hands-on, practice-oriented clinical placements that afford students the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed at UB and beyond.
• Students having this focus will be equipped to make a positive impact on veterans and military families whether the care is delivered in primary, secondary, or tertiary settings.
• The VMF Focus is a unique opportunity for advanced practice nurses to work inter-professionally with other health care providers in various settings.
• Students may be full-time or part-time and enrolled in Adult-Gerontology, Family, Psychiatric/Mental Health or Anesthesia DNP programs.

• A basic course that covers the American Military Culture.  Many courses are available at UB and those options are available to interested students.  The School of Nursing highly recommends SW 720: Veteran and Military Family Care (3 credits) presented by the School of Social Work. (Please note: these courses cannot be applied to DNP requirements.  
• General DNP Curriculum: Additional assignments and patient simulations will incorporate veterans and/or military families as the target population.  A portfolio of completed assignments will be compiled by the student. 
• Clinical Placement(s): VMF-relevant clinical placement; minimum of 4 credits (200 hours) as part of a DNP program’s required clinical hours.
• DNP Project: Requirements of the DNP Project will be focused on issues pertaining to veterans and/or military families.