Caring for the Greatest Generation: Making Time for Your Patient's Unique History

Great article Lynda. I worked in a VA Hospital for several years in Indianapolis and have worked at several military hospitals too. You are so right about the Greatest Generation and there are so few left. Thanks.

Thanks, traumaRUs! I really enjoyed talking to these patients, and it was hard to make time for their stories. Now, though, I have a great experience to look back on and appreciate. I feel like I unearthed something special by talking to these veterans. I always wanted to work in a VA for that reason, but working in the hospital, I saw a lot of VA patients coming through my floor.

I love this! My dad served in WWII, lied about his age so he could join the navy after D-day happened. I have heard some horrible stories of his recollections of the war, and I am so proud of him. He just turned 90. I love the way nurses at the VA treat him - like he is something special. And he is. Just like the others who served our country. I am so grateful to the nurses who care for our soldiers, you are all a very special blessing!!!

My grandfather also served in WWII, and I believe he lied about his age, as well. It was such a different time, wasn't it? I read somewhere that the state of our military aged adults would not have the physical fitness if called to serve in the same way they were.I also read D-Day by Stephen Ambrose, and I recommend that book, as well. If you really want to know the stories of how people fought for our country, I recommend any book by him. D-Day is harrowing, though, and not for the faint of heart.I love talking to my patients about their lives. You learn so much! I especially like veterans, though, because I love history.

Like the author, I have a passion for history, and I enjoy hearing stories from my elderly patients. My current fascination actually involves stories from the Vietnam war. As a mental health nurse, I have had the honor of caring for many Vietnam vets; also my own father-in-law served 11 months in Vietnam in 1967-68. A fellow AN member, RNIBCLC, wrote an article recently about "Home Before Morning," the autobiography of an RN in Vietnam, and I'm reading it currently. I always make it a point to thank veterans for their service! I enjoyed this article!

Fantastic article, Lynda. Thank you so much for the reminder. I have also worked at both military and VA hospitals. I love talking to Veterans, especially the dwindling population of WWII vets. I would love to eventually get back to a military or VA hospital. I hope that the hospital I work at is planning something for Veteran's Day. I am reminded of when I worked for Vitas Hospice and one of our social workers (a Veteran himself) made a point to recognize each patient who was a Veteran w/ a special certificate and a pin. He drove to each house to hand deliver them. The patients were so appreciative! He also recognized all staff members who were Veterans. Maybe I'll step up and do something on our floor if nothing is planned. If you have a loved one or a patient who is a Veteran, encourage them to participate in the Oral History Project. There are so few WWII vets left and when they pass on, their stories pass on with them. Anyone can take the history. Here is a link to the project. It is run by the Library of Congress.http://www.loc.gov/vets/kit.html

My grandfathers were both WWII vets, one of whom died in the past few years and one who passed on decades ago. Both of my uncles were in Vietnam. The grandfather who lived until recently was just starting to talk about his experiences in WWII, grisly and gruesome as they were. Neither of my uncles, one of whom is now deceased, ever spoke of their experiences.Thank you for encouraging understanding and patience as nurses encounter military veterans of all ages and all walks of life. As an Army nurse and soon-to-be-veteran myself, I appreciate your advocacy on behalf of a group that is often lost between the civilian media coverage and the official military statements on a given issue, despite the fact that they are often the reason the event occurred in the first place.

Nice article, Lynda! I am a big WWII geek, especially DDay, Midway, and Pearl Harbor. One of my parents' friends is a DDay vet and I finally got to hear his story last summer when my mom and I bumped into him and his wife at the hairdresser. I was in Normandy last summer and sent him a couple of postcards, a magnet, and a commemorative coin, and he was just so pleased by those small gestures. Very modest man and very humble about his service.I volunteer at a hospice and my favorite patient so far was a WWII vet. We both loved the same NFL team and the same airshow, and I spent hours talking with him. What a great guy. Whenever I see that a patient/resident is a veteran I ask about their service; some will talk about it, some will not.As an aside...while in Normandy I met a nice family from Belgium. The father said, "Well, if it weren't for you Americans, we wouldn't be free today. So thank you." And the people of Normandy, for the most part, love Americans. Nice to know that the incredible sacrifices our military members made have not been forgotten there.