The objective of this study was to better understand the post-deployment behavior health symptoms and readjustment/reintegration experienced by military nurses who provided en route care while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. Employing an exploratory, concurrent, mixed-methods design with an electronic survey consisting of several valid instruments and single, face-to-face interviews; data were gathered from 119 surveys and 22 interviews. Four qualitative themes aligned with the Post-Deployment Readjustment Inventory items. Findings from interviews support and illuminate the outcomes of the Post-Deployment Readjustment Inventory. Behavioral health usage was high in the quantitative sample. Nearly 74% (n = 88) of respondents indicating they had used Military Behavioral Health services following deployment. Statistically significant differences were noted among all subscales except Intimate Relationship Problems. Combined results indicated en route care nurses encountered difficulties when attempting to return to predeployment roles; behavioral health problems mirrored those of combat warriors. Interventions to assist post-deployment reintegration of en route care nurses should be conducted at the peer, leader, and health care provider levels. Embedding military mental health providers into en route care units is needed. It is imperative to gather lessons learned and identify ways to improve preparation for future conflicts and behavioral health of en route care nurses.

Nurses in this study felt that the current reintegration process was not meeting their needs for a smoother homecoming; new or improved interventions to assist redeploying nurses with the transition to a noncombat environment would be beneficial. Educational programs to help nursing supervisors provide optimal leadership support through all phases of deployment are needed.

The objective of this study was to identify the perceived readiness of U.S. Army Professional Filler System personnel in regard to nursing competency and readiness for deployment. A purposive sample of research participants (N = 131) from two military treatment facilities assigned to Great Plains Regional Medical Command responded to an electronic Readiness Estimate and Deployability Index (READI). The READI measures self-reported competencies in six dimensions of nursing readiness. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Although the research surveyed three levels of nursing skills (registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, and certified nursing assistant), the study results were noted to be quite parallel across the groups. Significant differences were noted throughout the six dimensions of the READI and between the two military treatment facilities in the dimensions of operational nursing competencies and personal and psychological readiness. Findings support the need for a structured core competency tool to provide succinct focused training to ensure deployment readiness.

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Spirituality can insulate military nurses from negative behavioral health symptoms. Nurses included in the study relied on their spirituality to stay mentally fit. For nurses who experienced moral injury, supervisory recognition of this and appropriate referral may decrease the long-term effects of deployment on their behavioral health.