A study of the Persion Gulf War as a catalyst for change in the Air Force Nurse Corps' clinical and deployment readiness

The Persian Gulf War (PGW) saw the deployment of over 500,000 troops and among them were approximately 4,000 Air Force nurses. While a relatively short war the PGW was a pivotal event for the Air Force Nurse Corps (AFNC). The primary purpose of this study was to document catalysts for organizational change within the AFNC after the PGW, while also filling an important gap in the AFNC's history. Prior to this study, no one had examined the organizational impact on any specific nurse corps group that participated in the PGW, specifically the AFNC. This study sought to fill the need by providing a historical review and analyses of the events and issues during the PGW while presenting them in context with the subsequent organizational changes.; Through the use of a historical methodology this research determined that prior to the PGW there was already a significant catalyst for change within the AFNC's Deployment and Clinical Readiness. Although this research did identified a multitude of issues during the PGW that expanded on that catalyst and initiated significant changes within the AFNC. Flexibility and the need for specialized training were found to be a requirement for nurses during the PGW and became core constructs for new organizational standards after the PGW. In addition, this study clearly identified a wide range of catalysts for change from outside forces like; new technologies, new paradigms of warfare and consistent pressure from senior governmental leaders for change.