After the Parade : Military Nurses’ Reintegration Experiences from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to describe reintegration experiences of U.S. military nurses returning from deployments in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A qualitative study using a phenomenological method was conducted. The population comprised nurses who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, or Air Force in Iraq or Afghanistan during 2003-2013, including Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve nurses. Purposive sampling with Veteran and professional nursing organizations yielded a sample of 35 nurses. Nine themes emerged from analysis: (a) homecoming; (b) renegotiating roles; (c) painful memories of trauma; (d) getting help; (e) needing a clinical change of scenery; (f) petty complaints and trivial whining; (g) military unit or civilian job: support versus lack of support; (h) family and social networks: support versus lack of support; and (i) reintegration: a new normal.

Military to civilian nurse: Personal and professional reconstruction

“…While there is some published literature related to the transition or re‐integration of military nurses from deployment to home (Scannell‐Desch & Doherty , Rivers et al . , Doherty & Scannell‐Desch , Elliott ), there is a dearth of published information related to military nurses’ transition from practising in the military to the civilian sector, whether from the USA or other countries. The transition process from military to civilian life can be very complex as veterans leave a culture, a career and social supports behind (Ray & Heaslip , Anderson & Goodman ).…”

“…Central to the nursing profession is the ability to care; therefore, gaining insights into how this subgroup of nurses' transitions from the military to civilian nursing practice is important for leaders of organisations who employ them. While there is some published literature related to the transition or reintegration of military nurses from deployment to home (Scannell-Desch & Doherty 2010, Rivers et al 2013, Doherty & Scannell-Desch 2015, Elliott 2015, there is a dearth of published information related to military nurses' transition from practising in the military to the civilian sector, whether from the USA or other countries. The transition process from military to civilian life can be very complex as veterans leave a culture, a career and social supports behind (Ray & Heaslip 2011, Anderson & Goodman 2014.…”

Deployment experiences of military nurses: A systematic review and qualitative meta‐synthesis

“…I think the more people hear about our experiences, the more they can understand why some of us come back with PTSD [posttraumatic stress disorder] or compassion fatigue. (Doherty & Scannell‐Desch, 2015 , p32). …”

“…I must say I have never been a person with a temper, but it has probably gotten a little shorter after having three deployments. (Doherty & Scannell‐Desch, 2015 , p33). …”

Reintegration for Post-treatment Cancer Survivors: A Concept Analysis

“…The nursing discipline has predominantly used reintegration in studies for military personnel (Doherty & Scannell-Desch, 2015), stroke survivors (Montgomery et al, 2015), ex-prisoners (Eshareturi et al, 2014;Marlow & Chesla, 2010), mental health conditions (Gibson, 1999), and pediatric cancer survivor populations (Labay et al, 2004;Libman, Sherrod, & Weyant 2017;Pini et al, 2013). In the context of cancer survivorship, literature focuses on adult survivors' return to work (Clark & Landis, 1989), and pediatric survivors' return to school (Labay et al, 2004;Libman et al, 2017;Pini et al, 2013).…”