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Military Nurses Caring For The Enemy, Sharon Thompson, Beth Mastel-Smith, Gloria Duke, Barbara K. Haas, Shellye Vardaman, Susan Yarbrough

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This phenomenological study described the lived experience and aftermath of U.S. military nurses assigned enemy detainees during Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom. Two themes emerged: Insurgent Assignments (subthemes included identification of and interactions with insurgents; training, precautions, and ethical issues, thoughts and feelings, coping, and meanings of insurgent care) and The Aftermath (subthemes were mental, emotional, personal, professional, and positive). Conclusions: Insurgent assignments caused ethical dilemmas and challenged theoretical constructs related to caring. Formal training is needed to prepare nurses for the practicalities of and responses to insurgent assignments.

This work is the dissertation manuscript of Sharon Thompson, completed …