Evidence-Based Nursing: Improving PTSD Care for Military Veterans

This report addresses the critical issue of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military veterans and proposes a change initiative involving the implementation of behavioral interventions, such as motivational interviewing and mindfulness techniques, to promote healthy coping mechanisms. The rationale behind this approach is that mindfulness directly targets core PTSD symptoms, including emotional numbing, negative emotions, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in supporting veterans who may not adhere to traditional therapies. The proposed intervention involves an 8-week program within a medical center, delivered in a group setting, incorporating core elements of mindfulness therapy, didactic training, and meditation-based exercises. The effectiveness of the intervention will be assessed by monitoring changes in PTSD symptom severity and overall quality of life, utilizing reliable measurement tools. The research problem is justified by the existing body of research on PTSD treatment, allowing for a thorough review and identification of appropriate interventions. This approach aligns with evidence-based practice principles by addressing a clinical problem and utilizing research to find valid and reliable solutions.

Running head: EVIDENCE BASED NURSING
Evidence based nursing
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

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Change initiative in relation to PICOT:
As military veterans are at high risk of developing mental illness like post traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) due to continued period of stress and trauma, the change initiative that
has been proposed is to implement behavioural intervention like motivational interviewing so
that they can adapt healthy behaviour. The main advantage of using mindfulness approach is that
it specifically targets the core features of PTSD such emotional numbing, negative emotions,
avoidance and hyperarousal. Military veteran with PTSD often suffer from attention deficit and
the mindfulness intervention plays a role in intentional shifting of attention to the present
moment (Boyd, Lanius & McKinnon, 2017).
The intervention is appropriate for the population group of military veterans because they
are most likely to suffer from PTSD and mindfulness based interventions are effective in
supporting those who do not adhere to current therapy. Polusny et al. (2015) has revealed that
mindfulness technique is especially effective in reducing the severity of symptoms in PTSD
patient. The intervention can be implemented in a medical centre for 8 weeks were the treatment
can be delivered in a group. The session will cover core elements of the therapy such as treating
participants to attend to the present moment in a non-judgmental manner, didactic training and
meditation based exercise. The assessment of change in outcomes of patient can be done by
detecting change in PTSD symptom severity and quality of life. PTSD and quality of life will be
measured by reliable tool.
Justification of the research problem:
The problem of prevalent of mental disorders like PTSD is amenable to a research based
intervention using the PICOT format because many research has been done on treatment of

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patients with PTSD. Hence, review of research can give idea about appropriate mental health
intervention that can lead to symptom reduction in the population group. The problem is relevant
as per the PICOT format because based on the problem, appropriate intervention can be
identified. Based on the identification of appropriate intervention (mindfulness intervention in
case of PTSD in military veterans), the PICOT framework can be developed accurately too. To
engage in evidence based inquiry, identification of proper intervention, outcome and population
is important. This approach is relevant with the evidence based practice principles because
identification of a clinical problem is necessary to research relevant research papers and get
answers to the clinical problem using the validity and reliability criteria (Lund et al., 2016).

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References:
Boyd, J. E., Lanius, R. A., & McKinnon, M. C. (2017). Mindfulness-based treatments for
posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of the treatment literature and neurobiological
evidence. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN, 43(1), 7-25.
Lund, H., Brunnhuber, K., Juhl, C., Robinson, K., Leenaars, M., Dorch, B. F., ... & Chalmers, I.
(2016). Towards evidence based research. Bmj, 355, i5440.
Polusny, M. A., Erbes, C. R., Thuras, P., Moran, A., Lamberty, G. J., Collins, R. C., ... & Lim,
K. O. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for posttraumatic stress disorder among
veterans: a randomized clinical trial. Jama, 314(5), 456-465.