Humanitarian Nursing in Developing Countries: A Phenomenological Analysis.
BACKGROUND
Surgical nursing within humanitarian contexts is complex, sporadically described in literature and little understood.


OBJECTIVE
To achieve a deeper understanding of the lived experience of New Zealand nurses providing humanitarian aid within surgical settings and war zones in developing countries.


METHODS
In-depth conversational interviews were undertaken with four New Zealand nurses whose humanitarian experience lay in general surgical, military, and intensive care settings. A qualitative descriptive method as described by Sandelowski, informed by van Manen's phenomenology in terms of analysis, was used.


RESULTS
Specialized knowledge and nursing expertise are recognized to be essential but not sufficient for humanitarian work. Understanding local cultures contributes to positive feelings about work effectiveness. Themes included feeling anxious and misunderstood, practicing differently, and adjusting to life back home.


CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the need to better prepare nurses who volunteer for humanitarian work, with implications for recruiting organizations, educators, and clinicians.
Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand shanevishwa@hotmail.com.
Shane
S
Lal
Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
Deb
D
Spence
D000533:Altruism; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016294:Models, Nursing; D015399:Nursing Research; D016746:Transcultural Nursing; D014857:Warfare
cardiovascular; international educational experiences; medical/surgical; military; qualitative research