APRN Counsel Member Erica Yunson

One way this is done is through participating in the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Council. Another way is through training the doctors and nurses of tomorrow. Erica Yunson, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse under Mental Health at VAPIHCS, is active in both.

“Although I’m detailed elsewhere at the moment, I’m usually part of the PTSD residential recovery program,” Yunson said. “It’s extremely rewarding to help Veterans learn to experience joy again. They often times enroll into our program angry at the world and in a difficult place. But after some time -usually around week four- they start to crack a few smiles and even start to laugh. That’s amazing.” 

The PTSD residential recovery program helps Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  In the VAPIHCS PTSD Residential Recovery Program (PRRP), Veterans with PTSD who haven’t been helped by outpatient therapy can go through an intensive in-patient experience that is highly effective at treating -and often curing- PTSD. Yunson is proud to be part of the program.

“As a Navy Veteran I am able to relate to what the Veterans in the residential recovery program have been through,” Yunson said. “During my time in the Navy, I experienced trauma myself in ways that I was able to later recognize and work through. The Veterans learn from staff, but -as a member of staff- I feel like I learn from them, too. When they have breakthroughs, I often see myself and my own experiences reflected back at me.” 

In addition to her work with the PTSD residential recovery program, Yunson is a preceptor and a member of the APRN counsel. She enjoys both teaching and learning, because she feels it’s important for medical staff to connect and to be part of a larger community. Yunson has been enrolled in VA for her own care since 2009, so she has many reasons to work towards the continual improvement of processes and care at VAPIHCS and in VA overall. 

“I love to teach, and I try to take the time with residents to make sure they understand why I do what I do and how I make decisions,” said Yunson. “Doing a residency is the best way to gain confidence and feel prepared when you are starting out, and I’m proud to help our residents to feel empowered to provide great care.” 

Yunson has worked at the Queens Medical Center and Adventist Health Castle in addition to her service in the Navy, so she brings a wealth of experience to her work at VAPIHCS. Learning about different types of care in different systems has put her in a position to have unique and meaningful insights into policies, procedures, and models of care. Originally from LA, Yunson came to Oahu to attend nursing school, she is grateful for the opportunity to serve the Veterans of the Pacific Islands. 

“We spend a third of our lives at work, so it’s important to do something you love with people you enjoy being around,” Yunson said. “I feel lucky to be here, and grateful to work for VA. Evidence shows that Veterans who get care through VA have better outcomes, and so it’s important to me to be able to do meaningful work that I know benefits Veterans, and to do it with people I like and respect.”