title: Expanding the role of the nurse practitioner in the deployed setting.
abstract: Today's military is experiencing rapid advances in technology and in manpower utilization. The Army Medical Department is redesigning the structure and function of deployable hospital systems as part of this effort. The transformation of deployable hospital systems requires that a critical analysis of manpower utilization be undertaken to optimize the employment of soldier-medics. The objective of this article was to describe the use of nurse practitioners as primary care providers during deployment. The lived experiences of five nurse practitioners deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom are presented. Data gathered during the deployment and an analysis of the literature clearly support expanded and legitimized roles for these health care professionals in future conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
authors.affiliation: Evans Army Community Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO 80922, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dargis
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horne
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tillman-Ortiz
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scherr
authors.forename: Edward E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Yackel
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D008888:Military Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000193:education; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D014857:Warfare; D000078329:Workforce