Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study of Military Nursing Officers

Abstract

Background Nurses working in military trauma teams often work in hostile and remote locations. They are faced with the burden of carrying out their duties while ensuring the safety of their patients and themselves in areas of conflict and humanitarian crisis. The stories and experiences of military nurses often go untold. In a phenomenological study, six Australian Defence Force Nursing Officers share their stories of working as members of military trauma teams. Objectives The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of nursing officers when working as a member of a military trauma team. Methods A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to conduct this research. In-depth interviews were conducted with six participants. Results The following themes were identified: telling their stories; the role—who we are and what we do; the environment—it is so different; training—will it ever fully prepare you; working in teams—there’s no “I” in team; and leadership—will the real leader please stand up! Discussion This study has provided an insight into the experiences of six Australian military nurses working in trauma teams—experiences that were rarely given voice outside the military. Central to this experience is the need to have these stories told.

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“…For example, health care workers working in armed conflicts should know the importance of internal communication among their team and also consider the local context to prevent putting the team at risk (Baucom, 2017). Moreover, qualitative studies of deployment experiences constantly highlight the fact that military nurses felt unprepared to deliver nursing care in an austere environment (Conlon, Wiechula, & Garlick, 2019; Finnegan et al., 2016). This means military medical services should put more efforts to continuously teach, develop and prepare military nurses for future missions, either as a team member or as head of a medical team.…”

Exploring competencies of military nurses in general hospitals in China: A qualitative content analysis

“…Military nurses play a substantial role in providing quality nursing care to meet the demands of patients and the requirements of the ever-changing healthcare system. Existing knowledge of the competencies of military nurses in general hospitals is limited, and qualitative studies of deployment experiences of military nurses reveal that they feel unprepared, necessitating appropriate prior training [7]. The present ndings contribute to a richer knowledge of nursing competencies for personnel recruitment and competency assessment and building.…”

“…The scope of practice for military nurses working in general hospitals includes not only routine nursing tasks but also military missions. The military nursing context is characterised by trauma-centred care to patients of all ages, as well as harsh conditions, which include the potential for physical and psychological harm [6][7][8][9]. The instability of this healthcare environment and demanding operational requirements increase military nurses' burden [5].…”