Elizabeth J. Bridges, RN, PhD, CCNS, Biobehavioral Nursing, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, WA, USA
Operational nursing research focuses on the care of critically ill patients in unique and austere environments. Decisions regarding the research topics are drawn from the following questions: (1) What do we do on a day to day basis that we will also be required to do in a field/deployed environment? (2) What will be new? (3) What are the characteristics of the field/deployed environment? (4) How does the field environment affect our care? (5) What are areas of research that have military unique application? (6) Where is the nursing in the research? Based on this framework, a program of research has been developed with studies falling under three categories: (1) Describing the environment and the human response to the environment, (2) Providing care within the constraints of the environment and (3) Preparing our nurses to provide care within the unique environment. As an example of this program, this presentation summarizes a series of studies related to thermal stress and the human response to thermal stress during military aeromedical evacuation and interventions to prevent hypothermia during long-distance aeromedical transport. The implications and translation of this program of military unique research to civilian disaster response will be discussed.