This study examined the effectiveness of two training methods for peripheral intravenous (IV) cannulation; one using rubber mannequin IV training arms, and the other consisting of students performing the procedure on each other. Two hundred-sixty Phase II Army Practical Nursing students were randomized into two groups and trained to perform an IV cannulation procedure. All students watched a 12-minute training video covering standard IV placement procedures. Afterward, both groups practiced the procedure for an hour according to their assigned group. Students were then tested on IV placement in a live human arm using a 14-item testing instrument in three trials that were scored pass/fail. There was no difference in the groups' performance of the IV procedure on the first attempt: 51.7% (n = 92) of the human arm group passed the test, and 48.3% (n = 86) of the rubber mannequin group passed the test (p = 0.074). These data suggest that using rubber mannequin IV arms for IV skills training may be just as effective as training students using traditional methods. In addition, using simulation provides an extra benefit of reducing risks associated with learning the procedure on a fellow student.

Approximately 13 to 30% of service members returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Institute of Medicine, 2012). The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between self-identified PTSD and self-reported coping abilities. Active duty and veteran volunteers (n=77) took the PTSD Checklist -Military Version (PCL-M), 26 were identified as having high PTSD scores (+PTSD) and 51 were identified as having low scores, such that they would not be suspected of having PTSD (-PTSD). Volunteers took the self-reported Brief COPE Inventory. Using independent samples T tests, those with +PTSD used dysfunctional coping strategies of Behavioral Disengagement (giving up, helplessness) t(32.735)=2.898,p=0.007; Venting (focusing on distress and venting emotions) t(36.537)=2.264, p=0.030; and Self Blame (self-criticizing and self-fault) t(38.147)=4.161, p<0.001 more often than those with -PTSD. These results provide information on the coping skills of those with self-identified +PTSD, according to the PCL-M. Further research and engaging new recruits and those with PTSD in learning positive coping skills are recommended.

Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered a signature injury from the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since the year 2000, over 370,000 U.S. active duty service members have been diagnosed with TBI. Although prior research has shown that even mild forms of TBI are associated with impaired cognitive performance, it is not clear which facets of cognition (computation, memory, reasoning, etc.) are impacted by injury. Method In the present study, we compared active duty military volunteers (n = 88) with and without TBI on six measures of cognition using the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metric software. Results Healthy volunteers exhibited significantly faster response times on the matching-to-sample, mathematical processing, and second round of simple reaction time tasks and had higher throughput scores on the mathematical processing and the second round of the simple reaction time tasks (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion In this population, cognitive impairments associated with TBI influenced performance requiring working memory and basic neural processing (speed/efficiency).

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

Soldier resilience is of paramount importance to the U.S. Military. Mindfulness and Resilience are positively correlated to one another in research focused on civilian populations. Since mindfulness can be learned, if the correlations remain consistent over time, then perhaps resilience can be increased by learning to be mindful. However, no published research has investigated the relationship between mindfulness and resilience among military active duty and veteran populations who have not undergone mindfulness training. Thirty active duty and veteran service members volunteered and completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Resilience Scale, while 29 fully completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Results reveal significant correlations between resilience scores and three of the FFMQ scale (Describe, Conscious Action, and Non-Reactive, p < .05), but not with the overall FFMQ, the other two facets (Observe and Non-Discrimination of the FFMQ), and not with the MAAS (p > .05). These results provide initial information on the relationship between mindfulness and resilience among active duty military and veterans, revealing that only some aspects of mindfulness appear related to, and predictive of, resilience. Should the relationships be consistent over time, then instruction in mindfulness may ultimately impact resilience, however additional research is necessary.