Experiences of military nurses deployed to war and their effect on their mental health

Abstract

This study was conducted using publicly available resources. Its aim was to identify military nurses’ experiences during deployment to war and their effect on their mental health. Nurses returning from war experience post-deployment transition and thus Schlossberg theory of transition was used as a theoretical framework. Ten scientific articles were analysed using inductive data analysis approach. The study revealed that during deployment military nurses experienced both physical and mental hardships, emotional struggles, and ethical dilemmas. The most significant effects of war on mental health were: stress, anxiety, panic, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, inability to be happy or enjoy time with family or friends, crying for no reason, lack of empathy or compassion, feeling anger, frustration, emptiness inside oneself, sorrow, feeling guilty. The study was limited by the small number of articles with free access.