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The military nurse experience in Vietnam: Stress and impact
Author(s) -
Baker Rodney R.,
Menard Shirley W.,
Johns Lois A.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(198909)45:5<736::aid-jclp2270450508>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - offensive , navy , psychosocial , psychology , military personnel , nursing , coping (psychology) , vietnam war , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , management , archaeology , political science , law , economics , history
Abstract Demographic, health, and psychosocial data from two studies are presented on military nurses assigned to Vietnam. Army nurse subjects in the first study were grouped for comparison on three major variables: assignment to Vietnam before versus after the 1968 TET Offensive, type of nursing duties performed, and years of experience as a registered nurse (RN) prior to assignment in Vietnam. The second study compared another group of Army nurses with a group of Air Force and Navy nurses also assigned to Vietnam. Army nurses with less than two years RN experience prior to their assignment were found to be more at risk for such negative outcomes as difficulty establishing personal relationships and difficulty coping with stressful situations. Stress experiences, career dissatisfaction data, and health problems of military nurses and their children are reported. Also described are positive experiences of nurses in developing personal relationships in a rewarding professional environment.