Military Nursing in "Operation Return to Brazil": aeromedical evacuation in the coronavirus pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: to describe the experience of military nursing in "Operation Return to Brazil" in an aeromedical evacuation. METHOD: this is an experience report of the nursing staff in the Aeromedical Evacuation of potentially-contaminated Brazilians who were in Wuhan, China, after the outbreak of the new coronavirus. RESULTS: the report was constructed from nursing care performed in three stages: pre-flight, screening, and flight. Pre-flight care would include aircraft configuration and material prediction. In screening, the staff was concerned with being properly attired. In the health assessment of returnees, in-flight, attention was focused on Personal Protective Equipment handling to minimize the risk of contamination by prolonged contact with potentially-contaminated passengers. Final considerations: nursing was committed to planning all the actions of this mission, which was one of the longest, strenuous and unprecedented in the history of aeromedical transport in Brazil.

A UK Military nurse practitioner on Exercise SAIF SAREEA 3: the first Overseas deployment.

As the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps celebrates its 70th Anniversary, army nursing continues to advance patient care delivery to new levels. Advanced level nursing practice has moved from the relatively 'calm' confines of the NHS to the austere desert of Oman. This article will provide a personal account of the first deployment of a military nurse practitioner since it was formally introduced in 2012 to frontline medicine, leading an armoured prehospital treatment team.

Sociodemographic and occupational aspects associated with burnout in military nursing workers.

OBJECTIVES: to analyze association between burnout and sociodemographic and occupational features of military nursing workers. METHODS: a cross-sectional study, developed in five military hospitals of the Army of Rio Grande do Sul State, among 167 workers from military nursing from December 2015 to May 2016. Sociodemographic and occupational questionnaires and the Maslach Burnout Inventory were applied. For the analysis, it was used descriptive statistics, Chi-Square Test and Poisson Regression. RESULTS: the majority of participants were female; temporary military personnel, nursing technicians, with a median age of 34 years old. Burnout was related to the variables: Military Health Organization, time of practice in military nursing and accomplishment of leisure activities. CONCLUSIONS: burnout assessment may contribute to the Brazilian Army Command in organizing plans for prevention and handling of occupational diseases in military nursing, improving quality of life at work.

Sociodemographic and occupational aspects associated with burnout in military nursing workers / Aspectos sociodemográficos y ocupacionales asociados al burnout en trabajadores de enfermería militar / Aspectos sociodemográficos e laborais associados ao burnout em trabalhadores da Enfermagem Militar

ABSTRACT Objectives: to analyze association between burnout and sociodemographic and occupational features of military nursing workers. Methods: a cross-sectional study, developed in five military hospitals of the Army of Rio Grande do Sul State, among 167 workers from military nursing from December 2015 to May 2016. Sociodemographic and occupational questionnaires and the Maslach Burnout Inventory were applied. For the analysis, it was used descriptive statistics, Chi-Square Test and Poisson Regression. Results: the majority of participants were female; temporary military personnel, nursing technicians, with a median age of 34 years old. Burnout was related to the variables: Military Health Organization, time of practice in military nursing and accomplishment of leisure activities. Conclusions: burnout assessment may contribute to the Brazilian Army Command in organizing plans for prevention and handling of occupational diseases in military nursing, improving quality of life at work.

RESUMEN Objetivos: analizar las asociaciones entre el burnout y las características sociodemográficas y laborales de los trabajadores de enfermería militar. Métodos: un estudio transversal, desarrollado en cinco hospitales militares del Ejército de Rio Grande do Sul, con 167 trabajadores de enfermería militar desde diciembre de 2015 hasta mayo de 2016. Se aplicaron cuestionarios sociodemográficos y laborales, y el Maslach Burnout Inventory. Para el análisis, se utilizaron estadísticas descriptivas, prueba de Chi Cuadrado y regresión de Poisson. Resultados: en la mayoría, los participantes fueron mujeres, militares temporales, técnicos de enfermería, con una mediana de edad de 34 años. El burnout se asoció con las variables organización militar de salud, el tiempo dedicado a la enfermería militar y la realización de actividades de ocio. Conclusiones: la evaluación del burnout puede contribuir al Comando del Ejército Brasileño en la organización de planes de prevención y manejo de enfermedades profesionales en Enfermería Militar, favoreciendo una mejor calidad de vida en el trabajo.

RESUMO Objetivos: analisar associações entre burnout e características sociodemográficas e laborais dos trabalhadores da Enfermagem Militar. Métodos: estudo transversal, desenvolvido em cinco hospitais militares do Exército do Rio Grande do Sul, com 167 trabalhadores da Enfermagem Militar no período de dezembro de 2015 a maio de 2016. Foram aplicados questionários sociodemográfico e laboral, e o MaslachBurnoutInventory. Para a análise, utilizaram-se a estatística descritiva, Teste Qui-Quadrado e regressão de Poisson. Resultados: na maioria, os participantes eram do sexo feminino, militares temporários, técnicos de enfermagem, com mediana de idade de 34 anos. O burnout foi associado às variáveis organização militar de saúde, tempo de atuação na Enfermagem Militar e realização de atividades de lazer. Conclusões: a avaliação do burnout poderá contribuir com o Comando do Exército Brasileiro na organização de planos de prevenção e manejo de doenças laborais na Enfermagem Militar favorecendo uma qualidade de vida melhor no trabalho.

Military Nursing in "Operation Return to Brazil": aeromedical evacuation in the coronavirus pandemic / Enfermería militar en la "Operación Regreso a Brasil": evacuación aeromédica en la pandemia de coronavirus / Enfermagem Militar na "Operação Regresso ao Brasil": evacuação aeromédica na pandemia do coronavirus

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the experience of military nursing in "Operation Return to Brazil" in an aeromedical evacuation. Method: this is an experience report of the nursing staff in the Aeromedical Evacuation of potentially-contaminated Brazilians who were in Wuhan, China, after the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Results: the report was constructed from nursing care performed in three stages: pre-flight, screening, and flight. Pre-flight care would include aircraft configuration and material prediction. In screening, the staff was concerned with being properly attired. In the health assessment of returnees, in-flight, attention was focused on Personal Protective Equipment handling to minimize the risk of contamination by prolonged contact with potentially-contaminated passengers. Final considerations: nursing was committed to planning all the actions of this mission, which was one of the longest, strenuous and unprecedented in the history of aeromedical transport in Brazil.

RESUMEN Objetivo: describir la experiencia de enfermería militar en la "Operación Regreso a Brasil" en una evacuación aeromédica. Método: este es un informe de experiencia del equipo de enfermería, en la evacuación aeromédica de brasileños potencialmente contaminados que se encontraban en Wuhan, China, después del brote del nuevo coronavirus. Resultado: el informe se construyó a partir de la atención de enfermería realizada en tres etapas: pre-vuelo, detección y vuelo. En el prevuelo, el cuidado incluyó la configuración de la aeronave y el pronóstico del material. En la evaluación, al equipo le preocupaba estar bien preparado. En la evaluación de la salud de los retornados, durante el vuelo, la atención se centró en el manejo de equipos de protección personal para minimizar el riesgo de contaminación por contacto prolongado con pasajeros potencialmente contaminados. Consideraciones finales: la enfermería se comprometió a planificar todas las acciones de esta misión, que fue una de las más largas, extenuantes y sin precedentes en la historia del transporte aeromédico en Brasil.

RESUMO Objetivo: descrever a experiência da enfermagem militar na Operação Regresso ao Brasil em uma evacuação aeromédica. Método: trata-se de um relato de experiência da equipe de enfermagem, na evacuação aeromédica dos brasileiros potencialmente contaminados que estavam em Wuhan, China, após o surto do novo coronavírus. Resultado: o relato foi construído a partir de cuidados de enfermagem realizados em três etapas: pré-voo, triagem e voo. No pré-voo, os cuidados incluíram a configuração da aeronave e a previsão do material. Na triagem, a equipe preocupou-se em estar devidamente aparamentada. Na avaliação de saúde dos repatriados, durante voo, concentrou-se a atenção no manejo dos Equipamentos de Proteção Individual para minimizar o risco de contaminação pelo contato prolongado, com passageiros potencialmente contaminados. Considerações finais: a enfermagem empenhou-se no planejamento de todas as ações dessa missão, que foi uma das mais longas, extenuantes e inéditas da história do transporte aeromédico do Brasil.

"Not Only with Thy Hands, But Also with Thy Minds": Salvaging Psychologically Damaged Soldiers in the Second World War.

This essay breaks new ground in exploring the tensions in female nursing during the Second World War as the mental health needs of the injured were increasingly acknowledged. Advances in weaponry and transportation meant that the Second World War was a truly global war with mobile troops and enhanced capacity to maim and kill. A critical mass of female nursing sisters was posted to provide care for physical trauma, yet the nature of this uniquely modern war also required nurses to provide psychological support for troops readying for return to action. Most nursing sisters of the British Army had little or no mental health training, but there were trained male mental health nurses available. Publications of broadcasts by the Matron-in-Chief of the British Army Nursing Service detail the belief that the female nurse was the officer in charge of the ward when the patients had physical needs. However, that the nursing sister held this position when the patients' requirements were of a psychological nature was at times tested and contested. Through personal testimony and contemporary accounts in the nursing and medical press, this essay investigates how female nursing staff negotiated their position as the expert by the psychologically damaged combatants' bedside. The essay identifies the resourcefulness of nurses to ensure access to all patient groups and also their determination to move the boundaries of their professional work to support soldiers in need.

Informe sobre necesidades de formación en nuevas tecnologías de los enfermeros militares / Report on training needs in new technologies for military nurses

ANTECEDENTES: En los últimos años, la Sanidad Militar ha ido incorporando diferentes innovaciones tecnológicas para mejorar la calidad y la eficiencia asistencial y resolver las necesidades sanitarias, tanto de los centros de la Red Hospitalaria Militar como de las Unidades Sanitarias desplazadas. El enfermero militar ha tenido que adaptar su forma de trabajar a las características de los nuevos sistemas, por lo que debe desarrollar nuevos conocimientos y competencias, con la formación tecnológica adecuada y los recursos y dispositivos necesarios y más actualizados. OBJETIVOS: Hacer un sondeo sobre la formación tecnológica de los enfermeros militares y los medios de los que disponen y descubrir los problemas que se encuentran. METODOLOGÍA: Encuesta a 33 enfermeros destinados en diversas unidades de las Fuerzas Armadas sobre los medios tecnológicos de los que disponen y la formación recibida. RESULTADOS: Existen equipos y sistemas obsoletos y deficiencias en la formación de los enfermeros

ANTECEDENS: In recent years, the Military Health has been incorporating different technological innovations to improve the quality and efficiency of care and to solve the health needs of both the centers of the Military Hospital Network and the displaced Health Units. The military nurse has had to adapt his way of working to the characteristics of the new systems, so he must develop new knowledge and skills, with the appropriate technological training and the necessary and most updated resources and devices. Objectives: To carry out a survey on the technological training of the military nurses and the means at their disposal and to discover the problems that are found. Methodology: Survey of 33 nurses assigned to various units of the Armed Forces about the technological means available to them and the training received. Results: There are obsolete equipment and systems and deficiencies in the training of nurses

Pressure Injury Development in Patients Treated by Critical Care Air Transport Teams: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: The US Air Force transports critically ill patients from all over the world, with transport times commonly ranging from 6 to 11 hours. Few outcome measures have been tracked for these patients. Traditional methods to prevent pressure injuries in civilian hospitals are often not feasible in the military transport environment. OBJECTIVES: The incidence rate and risk factors are described of en route-related pressure injuries for patients overseen by the Critical Care Air Transport Team. METHODS: This retrospective, case-control, medical records review investigated risk factors for pressure injury in patients who developed a pressure injury after their transport flight compared with those with no documented pressure injuries. RESULTS: The pressure injury rate was 4.9%. Between 2008 and 2012, 141 patients in whom pressure injuries developed and who had received care by the team were matched with 141 patients cared for by the team but did not have pressure injury. According to regression analysis, body mass index and 2 or more Critical Care Air Transport Team transports per patient were associated with pressure injury development. CONCLUSION: Although the pressure injury rate of 4.9% in this cohort of patients is consistent with that reported by civilian critical care units, the rate must be interpreted with caution, because civilian study data frequently represent the entire intensive care unit length of stay. Targeted interventions for patients with increased body mass index and 2 or more critical care air transports per patient may help decrease the development of pressure injury in these patients.

En Route Care Provided by US Navy Nurses in Iraq and Afghanistan.

BACKGROUND: US Navy nurses provide en route care for critically injured combat casualties without having a formal program for training, utilization, or evaluation. Little is known about missions supported by Navy nurses. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the number and types of patients transported and skill sets required by Navy nurses during 2 combat support deployments. METHODS: All interfacility casualty transfers between 2 separate facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan were assessed. Number of patients treated, number transported, en route care provider type, transport priority level and duration, injury severity, indication for critical care transport, en route care interventions, and vital signs were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 1550 casualties, 630 required medical evacuation to a higher level of care. Of those, 133 (21%) were transported by a Navy nurse, with 131 (98.5%) classified as "urgent," accounting for 46% of all urgent transports. The primary indication for en route care nursing was mechanical ventilation of intubated patients (97%). Mean (SD) patient transport time was 29.8 (7.9) minutes (range, 17-61 minutes). The most common en route care interventions were administration of intravenous sedation (80%), neuromuscular blockade (79%), and opioids (48%); transfusions (18%); and ventilation changes (11%). No intubations, cricothyroidotomies, chest tube placements, or needle decompressions were performed en route. No deaths occurred during transport. CONCLUSIONS: US Navy nurses successfully transported critically injured patients without observed adverse events. Establishing en route care as a program of record in the Navy will facilitate continuous process improvement to ensure that future casualties receive optimized en route care.

Nursing in the 8th Evacuation Hospital, 1942-1945.

This article describes the experiences of Army nurses in the University of Virginia sponsored 8th Evacuation Hospital during World War II. In addition, it examines gender and role differences within the Army Medical Department, and how nurses' contributions helped shape the profession. This research used traditional historical methods of inquiry to include both primary and secondary sources of information. Primary sources include newspaper clippings, letters, citations, and photographs from the archival collections of the 8th Evacuation Hospital located in the University of Virginia Historical Collections and Services, Charlottesville, VA, and journal articles from that period. Secondary sources consisted of bibliographical and historical texts. Evidence suggests that advances in the chain-of-evacuation, antibiotics, dissemination of blood products, and nurses' expanded roles all contributed to increased survival of the wounded. Nurses' performance garnered an enduring respect from combatants who received care, as well as the medical officers and enlisted personnel with whom they worked on a daily basis. Collaboration, mutual respect, and coordinated teamwork were critical for mission success. Army nurses demonstrated that they had the mettle to go into a war zone and perform in an exemplary manner.

After the parade: military nurses' reintegration experiences from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

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.

Determinants of burnout in acute and critical care military nursing personnel: a cross-sectional study from Peru.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the prevalence and determinants of burnout among military acute and critical care nursing personnel from developing countries is minimal, precluding the development of effective preventive measures for this high-risk occupational group. In this context, we aimed to examine the association between the dimensions of burnout and selected socio-demographic and occupational factors in military acute/critical care nursing personnel from Lima, Peru. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 93 nurses/nurse assistants from the acute and critical care departments of a large, national reference, military hospital in Lima, Peru, using a socio-demographic/occupational questionnaire and a validated Spanish translation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Total scores for each of the burnout dimensions were calculated for each participant. Higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation scores, and lower personal achievement scores, implied a higher degree of burnout. We used linear regression to evaluate the association between each of the burnout dimensions and selected socio-demographic and occupational characteristics, after adjusting for potential confounders. The associations of the burnout dimensions were heterogeneous for the different socio-demographic and occupational factors. Higher emotional exhaustion scores were independently associated with having children (p<0.05) and inversely associated with the time working in the current department (p<0.05). Higher depersonalization scores were independently associated with being single compared with being divorced, separated or widowed (p<0.01), working in the emergency room/intensive care unit compared with the recovery room (p<0.01), and inversely associated with age (p<0.05). Finally, higher personal achievement scores were independently associated with having children (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Among Peruvian military acute and critical care nursing personnel, potential screening and preventive interventions should focus on younger/less experienced nurses/nurse assistants, who are single, have children, or work in the most acute critical care areas (e.g. the emergency room/intensive care unit).

Staffing matters-every shift: data from the Military Nursing Outcomes Database can be used to demonstrate that the right number and mix of nurses prevent errors.

OVERVIEW: Data from the Military Nursing Outcomes Database (MilNOD) project demonstrate that inadequately staffed shifts can increase the likelihood of adverse events, such as falls with injury, medication errors, and needlestick injuries to nurses. Such evidence can be used to show that it takes not only the right number of nursing staff on every shift to ensure safe patient care, but also the right mix of expertise and experience. Based on findings from the MilNOD project, the authors present realistic scenarios of common dilemmas hospitals face in nurse staffing, illustrating the potential hazards for patients and nurses alike.

Assessing confidence in triage decision making: evaluation of an inventory in a sample of navy and civilian nurses.

Triage decision making and prioritizing nursing care are essential nursing skills in all clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Triage Decision Making Inventory in a sample of Navy and civilian nurses with diverse clinical specialties and years of clinical experience. Establishing reliability and validity allows staff development educators to evaluate training strategies that promote confidence in decision making among nurses of all specialty practices.

Influence of unit-level staffing on medication errors and falls in military hospitals.

This study examined unit-level associations of nurse staffing and workload, and the effect of the practice environment on adverse patient events. A secondary analysis was conducted of a longitudinal data set of 23 Army inpatient units from the Military Nursing Outcomes Database. Generalized Linear Mixed Modeling accommodated nested, nonparametric data. Staff category was found to be a significant predictor of medication errors and patient falls, but the relationship varied by unit type. Patient census had no effect on either outcome; however, a higher patient acuity was associated with an increase in both adverse events. The nursing practice environment mediated medication errors but not falls, in all unit types. Skill mix is important; however, additional components of staffing need consideration in producing positive patient outcomes.

Frequency of and subjective response to critical incidents in the prediction of PTSD in emergency personnel.

In this study, the authors compared the respective contribution of an individual's subjective response and the frequency of exposure to critical incidents to the development of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of 136 nurses and ambulance personnel working in military facilities. They found no relationship between the frequency of encountered critical incidents and the occurrence of PTSD symptoms. The subjective response to a stressor contributed to the development of PTSD symptoms and was most strongly associated with intrusion, partial eta squared =.23, and hyperarousal symptoms, partial eta squared =.16. Stressors that elicited the most intense affects within this population were those involving children and those where workers encountered limitations in supplies and resources.

Participation in a national nursing outcomes database: monitoring outcomes over time.

The current and future climates in health care require increased accountability of health care organizations for the quality of the care they provide. Never before in the history of health care in America has this focus on quality been so critical. The imperative to measure nursing's impact without fully developed and tested monitoring systems is a critical issue for nurse executives and managers alike. This article describes a project to measure nursing structure, process, and outcomes in the military health system, the Military Nursing Outcomes Database project. Here we review the effectiveness of this project in monitoring changes over time, in satisfying expectations of nurse leaders in participating hospitals, and evaluate the potential budgetary impacts of such a system. We conclude that the Military Nursing Outcomes Database did meet the needs of a monitoring system that is sensitive to changes over time in outcomes, provides interpretable data for nurse leaders, and could result in cost benefits and patient care improvements in organizations.

Medical-surgical nursing at the 86th Combat Support Hospital (2007-2009) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom: caring for host nation patients.

A descriptive study of the patients admitted to the host nation intermediate care ward (ICW) of the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq was performed. A retrospective chart review was conducted of the patients admitted to the host nation ward between June 2 and September 5, 2008. One hundred and forty host nation patients were included in the study. Patient demographics, origin of admission, length of stay, and disposition of patient are reported. The types of illnesses and injuries most commonly seen as well as the most common surgical procedures are also reported. This study details the nursing care provided to host nation armed forces and civilians during a 3-month period of the deployment of the 86th CSH in Baghdad, Iraq. Information gained from this study is important for predeployment training and readiness of nurses preparing to deploy to Iraq.

Medication error reporting and the work environment in a military setting.

This study examined nurses' reasons for medication errors, reasons for not reporting errors, and perceived unit-reporting practices. It compared nurses' anonymous reports of medication errors with those from institutional reporting mechanisms. Qualities of the work environment, staffing, and workload were evaluated to determine associations with perceived error-reporting practices. The study findings have immediate applicability as a baseline for system improvements.