Experiences of the civilian Iranian operating room nurses: A historical survey of the Iran-Iraq war

Background and Purpose: Upon centuries, wars have taken over countries due to theadvancement of sophisticated warfare,causingserious injuries among soldiers. Nurses are directly involved in preoperative and postsurgical patient care. One ofthe most remarkable contributions of the Iranian operating room nurses was to provide medical care for wounded soldiers in field hospitals during the Iran-Iraq war. This study aimed to explore the experiences of civilian operating room nurses infield hospitals at the frontlines during the Iran-Iraq war. Methods: This study was conducted using historical research methodology and oral history method throughin-depthinterviews with civilian nurses engaged inoperating rooms during the war.Participants were selected via snowball sampling. This study investigated nursing practice in operating rooms as recountedby 16 civilian nurses who served in field hospitals inthe Iran-Iraq war during 1980-1988. Results: This study had six descriptive themes focusing on the experiences of nurses engaged in operating rooms during theIran-Iraq war, and the results were obtainedin a narrative style. The main themes extracted from the study were”establishment of medical centers in the frontlines”, “organization of emergency medical teams”, “establishment of operating rooms”, “nursing duties inthe operating room”, “documentation of medical interventions”, and “vulnerability of nurses in the operating room”. Conclusion: The findings of this study will significantly enhance the current knowledge regarding operating room nursing practiceduring the Iran-Iraq war, enabling a greater understanding of this particular medical experience.