September 2023
Kamalpreet "Kay"
Singh
,
RN
Primary Care
Dayton VA Medical Center
Dayton
,
OH
United States
Normally, this Veteran would not interact with caregivers, but Kamalpreet's outstanding interpersonal communication skills allowed the Veteran to feel safe in Kamalpreet’s care.
A major, yet preventable health problem in the U.S. is suicide. Sadly, Veterans comprise nearly a quarter of all suicides in the U.S. In 2020, there were 6,146 Veteran suicides, which averages to 16.8 Veterans dying by suicide every day. With a higher-than-average number of suicides and suicidal ideation, VA nurses meet Veterans who are either contemplating or have attempted suicide.
One summer evening in 2022, Kamalpreet was the therapeutic companion who provided 1:1 monitoring for a Veteran who had thoughts of suicide. Normally, this Veteran would not interact with caregivers, but Kamalpreet's outstanding interpersonal communication skills allowed the Veteran to feel safe in Kamalpreet’s care. Kamalpreet began speaking with the Veteran just about his experiences. As the Veteran shared more about himself, he began sharing that he felt useless because he was unemployed, and unemployment led to his homelessness. The Veteran shared with Kamalpreet that he had made several attempts to get a job in the VA system, but there were no new jobs posted on the job board. She showed the Veteran where to find USA jobs on the internet. She went through the site and showed the Veteran where to build his profile and upload his resume. The Veteran also shared with her that he had heard about the VA's homeless program, but he didn't know how to get connected with the program. She left a message with the unit's social Worker to discuss the homeless program with the Veteran the next day.
Fast forward to summer 2023. She was walking on the campus when she heard her name- Kamalpreet! The Veteran, whom she'd last seen in 2022, ran up to her with a big smile. The Veteran shared with her that he got connected with the VA's homeless program and had stable housing. He also said that he got a job within the VA system, a job that he'd wanted since getting out of the military. At the end of their chance meeting, the Veteran shook her hand and said, "Thank you so much." Kamalpreet’s actions and concern for the Veteran really made a difference in his life.
One summer evening in 2022, Kamalpreet was the therapeutic companion who provided 1:1 monitoring for a Veteran who had thoughts of suicide. Normally, this Veteran would not interact with caregivers, but Kamalpreet's outstanding interpersonal communication skills allowed the Veteran to feel safe in Kamalpreet’s care. Kamalpreet began speaking with the Veteran just about his experiences. As the Veteran shared more about himself, he began sharing that he felt useless because he was unemployed, and unemployment led to his homelessness. The Veteran shared with Kamalpreet that he had made several attempts to get a job in the VA system, but there were no new jobs posted on the job board. She showed the Veteran where to find USA jobs on the internet. She went through the site and showed the Veteran where to build his profile and upload his resume. The Veteran also shared with her that he had heard about the VA's homeless program, but he didn't know how to get connected with the program. She left a message with the unit's social Worker to discuss the homeless program with the Veteran the next day.
Fast forward to summer 2023. She was walking on the campus when she heard her name- Kamalpreet! The Veteran, whom she'd last seen in 2022, ran up to her with a big smile. The Veteran shared with her that he got connected with the VA's homeless program and had stable housing. He also said that he got a job within the VA system, a job that he'd wanted since getting out of the military. At the end of their chance meeting, the Veteran shook her hand and said, "Thank you so much." Kamalpreet’s actions and concern for the Veteran really made a difference in his life.