Health and Well-Being of Military Nurses in High-Reliability, High-Stress Environments: A Qualitative Study in the Slovenian Armed Forces

Abstract

Aim: To investigate how female military nurses experience high-reliability, high-stress environments and how these conditions shape their well-being. Background: Military nursing involves complex demands that extend beyond clinical care, including dual professional roles, operational unpredictability, and gendered expectations. These pressures can undermine physical, psychological, and social well-being, yet the lived experiences of military nurses, particularly women, remain underexplored. Design: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Methods: Ten female military nurses were recruited through purposive sampling and interviewed individually in semi-structured online interviews. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured through reflexive coding, an audit trail, and adherence to COREQ guidelines. Results: Five overarching categories captured the factors shaping well-being: organisational and structural demands; high-stress operational environments; emotional and psychological burden; coping and resilience; and gendered identity and work–family balance. Participants described constrained autonomy, communication gaps, and role ambiguity within hierarchical structures. Psychological pressures were heightened by moral tensions, responsibility for colleagues, and expectations of emotional control. Coping relied mainly on informal peer support, as formal services were rarely used due to stigma. Gendered norms and family responsibilities further influenced well-being and career decisions. Conclusion: Military nurse well-being is shaped less by individual resilience and more by organisational culture, operational demands, and gendered expectations. Addressing these systemic factors is essential for sustaining the military nursing workforce. Implication for Nursing: Strengthening leadership support, communication, psychological safety, and professional autonomy may improve working conditions and support nurses’ well-being in demanding operational contexts. Implications for Health Policy: Policies should promote supportive organisational cultures, reduce stigma around help-seeking, and facilitate work–family reconciliation to sustain and retain the military nursing workforce.