title: Military nurses and combat-wounded patients: a qualitative analysis of psychosocial care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims were to explore the lived experience of combat-wounded patients and the military nurses who care for them.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a qualitative phenomenological design, and focus groups were conducted with 20 nurses and 8 combat-wounded patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes common to nurses and patients were coping, shared experiences, finding meaning, psychosocial nursing care, families, and bureaucratic structure. Thematic differences were the patients' perspectives "changed self" while nurses described "professional boundaries."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The importance of finding meaning presents ideas that could help nurses and patients cope better with stressful situations regardless of the setting.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Bonnie M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Hagerty
authors.forename: Reg Arthur
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bingham
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richard
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008888:Military Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000592:standards; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014857:Warfare; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology