Nursing Outlook
Volume 53, Issue 5 , Pages 247-252, September 2005

Shipboard nursing on aircraft carriers: The perceptions of twelve Navy nurses

  • Catherine Wilson Cox, RN, PhD, CCRN, CEN, CCNS

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Dr. Catherine Wilson Cox, Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, 3700 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20057

The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of shipboard nursing on aircraft carriers. Using the principles of Husserlian phenomenology, 12 Navy nurses previously stationed aboard aircraft carriers were interviewed to explore their familiarity with being a ship‘s nurse. Shipboard nursing was best described by the following essences: (1) experiencing the best but toughest job the Navy has to offer its nurses; (2) ensuring readiness; (3) being one-of-one; (4) operating constantly in an environment of uncertainty; (5) having 2 families; and (6) making the job better for the next generation. Since the United States is currently a nation involved in wartime activities, the findings of this study are timely and give a public voice to this extraordinary experience of military nursing. Additionally, any nurse who is a sole practitioner may recognize some commonalities.

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 This research was sponsored by the Department of Defense Tri-Service Nursing Research Program (TSNRP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences — (Grant #N00-002). Primary IRB approval was obtained from the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD (CIP Study #B00-020). The views expressed in this publication are the author‘s and do not reflect the official policy or position, nor should any official endorsement be inferred by, or of the TSNRP, Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, nor the US Government.

PII: S0029-6554(05)00044-8

doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2005.02.007

Nursing Outlook
Volume 53, Issue 5 , Pages 247-252, September 2005

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