U.S. Army nurses' reintegration and homecoming experiences after Iraq and Afghanistan

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand U.S. Army nurses' reintegration and homecoming experiences after deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. Method: Employing existential phenomenology and purposive sampling, 22 U.S. Army active duty nurses were recruited from two military posts and participated in single digitally recorded interviews. Results: Five themes emerged: (1) aspects of command support were articulated as "No One Cares"; (2) fulfilling requirements for attendance at pre/postdeployment briefings were described as merely "Check the Blocks"; (3) readjustments from focusing strictly on duty requirements versus multitasking, such as family responsibilities and daily living, led to the "Stress of Being Home"; (4) nurses stated "They Don't Understand" when referring to anyone without deployment experience (family, friends, other soldiers); and (5) when referencing deployment experiences, nurses emphasized that, "It Just Changes You." Discussion: Nurses in this study felt that the current reintegration process was not meeting their needs for a smoother homecoming; new or improved interventions to assist redeploying nurses with the transition to a noncombat environment would be beneficial. Educational programs to help nursing supervisors provide optimal leadership support through all phases of deployment are needed. © Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S. All rights reserved.