What Factors Influence Veterans Returning to Civilian Life to Go Back to School: Grounded-Theory Study

Saturday, 28 October 2017

Sarah G. Long, DNP
School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Robert Morris University, Moon Township, PA, USA
Carl Ross, PhD
School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Robert Morris University, MOON TOWNSHIP, PA, USA

Approximately 2.5 million veterans have been deployed and returned home since the war on terror began on September 11, 2001 (Leipold, 2013). These veterans face complex challenges of processing combat experiences and reentering community life. Although psychiatric disturbance in individuals formerly deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom /Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) has received considerable attention, much less is known about their experiences and service needs as they attempt to reintegrate into their communities (Sayer et al., 2011). Review of the literature focuses more on mental health and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the effects of subsequent education choices. There is minimal research on the long-term outcomes that reflect positive reintegration into civilian life, such as continuing education.

The Veterans Administration (VA spends more than $70 billion annually (half goes toward medical care), and has suffered budget shortfalls for years as of 2006 (Axe, 2006). As more and more veterans seek assistance in the VA system these figures will only continue to increase as well. Since the VA is purely funded by tax payer dollars this has significant impact on everyone.

This qualitative study is a result of interacting with numerous veterans in various stages of reintegration as result of the author’s clinical experiences. Many of whom voiced similar struggles and obstacles involving reintegration into civilian life. Due to time constraints it was difficult to ascertain specific positive factors that assisted in their reintegration, especially in regards to those who chose to return to school after their service time. It is of great interest and potentially the well-being of these veterans to further investigate the long-term outcomes that reflect positive reintegration into civilian life, such as continuing education to better assist in this transition for these men and women in the future. It is also of great significance for those medical providers in the civilian sectors to be aware of the issues that veterans and their families face during the time of transitioning to civilian life as to better serve the needs of this population.