| Today, similar to past conflicts, military nurses are faced with many different stressors, moral dilemmas, and loss in a compressed amount of time while serving a deployment to a war zone. These exposures place both military nurses and their families at risk for difficulty adjusting when the soldier returns home. It is uncertain if this group of military personnel is at higher risk for developing PTSD compared to other soldiers; however, some literature supports that military nurses are exposed to situations of war that may increase this risk.;Studies that address this group of nurses are necessary to offer a beginning framework for other nurses and healthcare providers to become attuned to this group's unique needs after returning home from a deployment. The purposes of this narrative study were to describe the military nurses' experiences during the post-deployment phase, to describe the meaning of this experience, and to identify strategies that may have influenced their return to personal and professional roles after returning home.;A constructivist approach was employed to frame this study. The researcher used snowball sampling through peer and professional networks. In-depth individual interviews with ten military nurses were conducted, audiotaped, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed with content and thematic analysis. An audit trail was maintained to provide trustworthiness in the interpretation of data as well as member checks of final interpretations.;The five themes describing the post-deployment experience learning to manage changes in the environment, facing the reality of multiple losses, feeling like it's all so trivial now, figuring out where I 'fit" in all the chaos, and working through the guilt to move forward emerged. Serving a greater purpose and looking at life through a new lens were the two themes that emerged relating to the meaning of the deployment/post-deployment experience. Strategies that influenced the return to personal and professional roles and additional findings were discussed.;This research has implications for healthcare providers, nursing administration, nursing educators, as well as nurses who are employed and work alongside military nurses. It is critical for those who want to provide support to the military nurse upon returning home and during the post-deployment phase to have a better understanding of the meaning of this experience as told by the military nurse. Lessons learned may benefit future military nurses as they prepare to return from deployment. These lessons may also be transferable to nurses who support humanitarian and disaster missions as they may experience similar situations. |
