Shared Experiences and Meanings of Military Nurse Veterans

Abstract

A coherent review of wartime nursing.

Combat stressors and post‐traumatic stress in deployed military healthcare professionals: an integrative review

“…, 2001). Study participant experiences have been summarized by researchers as the ‘sights, sounds and smells of war’ (Scannell‐Desch 1996, Stanton et al. 1996).…”

Lessons learned and advice from Vietnam war nurses: a qualitative study

“…Religion, humour, strong social networks, solid trauma skills, maturity, and relaxation skills were perceived as important survival skills. Stanton et al . (1996) examined war experiences of 22 women nurses from World War II through the 1991 Persian Gulf War.…”

Women Vietnam Veterans: Do PTSD Symptoms Mediate Effects of Warzone Service on Health?

“…One possible explanation for this difference relates to social support - nurses who stayed in the military tended to have more opportunities to talk about their experiences and receive support from knowledgeable others than those who left the military after their overseas service (Stanton et al, 1996). Social support has consistently been found to buffer against the negative consequences of stress and trauma exposure among veterans across war eras (e.g., King, King, Fairbank, Keane & Adams, 1998; Pietrzak et al, 2010).…”

“…Additional sources of stress included having to learn new skills quickly, the threat of danger, sleep deprivation, sexual harassment, and the difficult living and working conditions (Paul, 1985). Stanton and colleagues (1996) interviewed 22 female nurses from various war eras and uncovered common themes, including the physical and professional hardships of living (e.g., extreme temperatures) and working (e.g. long hours, lack of necessary medical supplies) conditions.…”

“…long hours, lack of necessary medical supplies) conditions. Warzone nursing was described by all as very different from noncombat nursing – dangers varied from managing unfamiliar tropical diseases and the threat of chemical warfare to being wounded by enemy fire (Stanton, Dittmar, Jezewski, & Dickerson, 1996). Many of the nurses sent to Vietnam were fairly inexperienced, but even those with more nursing experience were faced with a steep learning curve during their deployment.…”