title: After the parade: military nurses' reintegration experiences from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
abstract: The purpose of the current study was to describe reintegration experiences of U.S. military nurses returning from deployments in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A qualitative study using a phenomenological method was conducted. The population comprised nurses who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, or Air Force in Iraq or Afghanistan during 2003-2013, including Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve nurses. Purposive sampling with Veteran and professional nursing organizations yielded a sample of 35 nurses. Nine themes emerged from analysis: (a) homecoming; (b) renegotiating roles; (c) painful memories of trauma; (d) getting help; (e) needing a clinical change of scenery; (f) petty complaints and trivial whining; (g) military unit or civilian job: support versus lack of support; (h) family and social networks: support versus lack of support; and (i) reintegration: a new normal.
authors: Mary Ellen
authors: ME
authors: Doherty
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Scannell-Desch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008888:Military Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data