The Pennsylvania nurse
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The Pennsylvania nurse · Sep 2010
Understanding the impact of war zone experiences: a primer for civilian nurses.
As the United States continues to fight the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of personnel deployed to war zones and transitioning back to the home front increases. After nine years of intensive experience, military nurses have learned much about the needs of wounded warriors in critical care settings and in acute phases of recovery. ⋯ Nurses involved in primary care and emergency nursing can learn much from the experiences of those nurses who have worked with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), alcohol abuse and substance abuse as ineffective coping mechanisms and risks of suicide. The purpose of this article is to share some of the lessons learned by military and veterans administration healthcare workers with civilian nurses.