Program Details

The online Master of Science in Nursing — Veteran and Military Healthcare program focuses on the specific needs of our veterans including healthcare delivery systems, maintaining a ready force, care during military operations, invisible and visible consequences of war, veteran and military culture, and family dynamics.

One in ten patients in the United States is a veteran. One in four dying patients in the United States is a veteran. Due to the circumstances that these individuals have lived through, whether they have deployed or not, they require special care. Service-connected conditions are both visible and invisible. This online program is focused on a holistic approach to treating veterans and military personnel.

While most people assume that veterans are typically treated at VA hospitals, that is not necessarily true. Only about 40% of veterans are treated regularly at VA hospitals, leaving a very large percentage of the veteran population that are being treated at local hospitals and community healthcare practices. Without a true understanding of how to best treat these individuals, local medical personnel can easily misdiagnose or mistreat patients.

Understanding and helping these patients navigate the systems available to them while innovating to assist veterans more efficiently in the future is essential to our healthcare system. The US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and Military Health System (MHS) facilities operate on a $200 billion per year budget and serve over 30 million veterans and military personnel.

This online program is one of the first in the nation to focus specifically on veteran health care and understanding all of their needs including injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide prevention, depression, rehabilitation, chronic conditions, end-of-life care and the other physical and psychological needs of veterans.

The veteran culture is complex and unique to each veteran. Military culture and the experiences of transitioning back into the civilian world all impact veteran's lives, the lives of those closest to them, and their overall health and well-being. Having in-depth knowledge and understanding of these cultural influences on our soldiers and veterans will enable you to be more successful in providing patient/family-centered care for these individuals.

An important aspect of this curriculum is to expose you to the nuances of the military and veteran culture in order to expand your knowledge and understanding of the special needs of these individuals while providing care and assisting them in managing their own health and wellness. The VMHC programs, including the online master's program and online graduate certificate, feature faculty from the Veterans Administration, Military Health System and Military communities.​

As a fully online degree, the MS in Veteran & Military Healthcare program offers schedule flexibility, but still provides access to the same high-quality professors and content of an in-person program at the University of Colorado Denver. Whether you’re a VA nurse looking to move up or a private practice nurse focused on being able to better serve your veteran patients, this master’s program is the best way to do so.

Upon completion of the VMHC nursing online program, students will be prepared to incorporate pertinent knowledge, values, and abilities for direct and indirect provider roles to:

• Participate in an interdisciplinary healthcare team as a leader and an active member to promote quality and safe care at the patient, family, population, or system levels.
• Develop a professional, ethical, caring, and culturally sensitive approach when working with veteran and military patients, families, populations, or systems.
• Integrate patient care technologies to improve veteran and military patient, family, population, or system outcomes.
• Use theoretical frameworks to address veteran and military patient, family, population, or system needs.
• Integrate evidence-based knowledge into managing the care of veteran and military patients, families, populations, or systems to improve and protect health and wellness in Colorado and beyond.
• Formulate strategies to advocate for veteran and military patients, families, populations, systems, or the nursing profession in Colorado and beyond.

You can get started right away, even before you’ve been accepted into the Master’s program by taking VMHC courses through the CU Continuing Education and Professional Development department. The credits you earn here will transfer directly to your master’s program once accepted.

Timeline

The online MS in Nursing — Veteran and Military Healthcare program consists of 32 credit hours of graduate coursework including 12 credits in the Master of Science in Nursing core, 18 credits in the Veteran and Military Healthcare specialty, and a two-credit practicum through an internship.

For this program, two courses per semester is considered full-time. The program can typically be completed within six semesters, but you have up to seven years to complete your MS in Nursing — Veteran and Military Healthcare degree. Your program counselor will help you identify the best path to graduation and ideal course load based on your circumstances. With our fully online degree option, you are able to take classes as they fit into your schedule.

Admissions

Admission requirements and deadlines vary based on program. In addition, you will have different requirements depending on if you are a first time student, a transfer student, or an international student.

Learn more about the admissions process by contacting CU College of Nursing Admissions at nursing.admissions@cuanschutz.edu

Career Outlook

The healthcare industry in the United States continues to grow and the emphasis on veterans and military personnel is becoming more and more important every single day. Ten percent of all patients in the US are veterans, so having the skills to accurately and empathetically communicate with and treat these individuals will separate you from other nursing candidates.

Here are some of the career opportunities that you could expect after graduation:

• Veteran & Military Healthcare Professional: $67,000
• VA Registered Nurse: $73,935
   

Courses

The Master of Science in Nursing - Veteran and Military Healthcare program consists of 32 credits, split up between the nursing core courses (12 total credits), VMHC specialty courses (18 total credits), and a practicum/internship (2 credits). Two courses per semester is considered full-time.