Military nursing in tactical pre-hospital care: structure, action, and challenges in high-risk contexts

TL;DR

This study explores how military nurses operate in high-risk tactical pre-hospital care settings, emphasizing their training, resource management, and challenges.

Contribution

The study applies Giddens’ Structuring Theory to analyze military nursing practices in high-risk environments, revealing new insights into their adaptive agency.

Findings

Military nurses adapt practices and innovate despite rigid hierarchies.

Key challenges include communication issues and scarcity of supplies in hostile environments.

Institutionalizing tactical pre-hospital care requires investment in training and technology.

Abstract

to understand, in light of Anthony Giddens’ Structuring Theory, how military nursing professionals act in tactical pre-hospital care, highlighting training, management, and care practices in risk contexts, and structural challenges that put pressure on their practice.

a qualitative, descriptive study with 15 participants recruited through chain sampling. Data collection took place between March 2023 and January 2024 using semi-structured interviews. The corpus was processed in Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires and analyzed using Descending Hierarchical Classification.

four classes emerged, organized into three axes: leadership in training; resource management in hostile environments; challenges related to communication and scarcity of supplies.

military nursing demonstrates agency by adapting practices and producing innovation even in the face of rigid hierarchical structures. Tactical pre-hospital care must be institutionalized, investing in training, technologies, and scientific production that consolidate this field as strategic for operational health.

compreender, à luz da Teoria da Estruturação de Anthony Giddens, como profissionais de enfermagem militar atuam no atendimento pré-hospitalar tático, evidenciando práticas formativas, gerenciais e assistenciais em contextos de risco, e desafios estruturais que tensionam sua prática.

estudo qualitativo, descritivo, com 15 participantes recrutados por amostragem em cadeia. Coleta ocorreu entre março/2023 e janeiro/2024 utilizando entrevistas semiestruturadas. O corpus foi processado no Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires e analisado por Classificação Hierárquica Descendente.

emergiram quatro classes, organizadas em três eixos: protagonismo na formação; gestão de recursos em ambientes hostis; desafios relacionados à comunicação e escassez de insumos.

a enfermagem militar demonstra agência ao adaptar práticas e produzir inovação mesmo diante de estruturas hierárquicas rígidas. Há necessidade de institucionalização do atendimento pré-hospitalar tático, investindo em formação, tecnologias e produção científica que consolidem esse campo como estratégico para a saúde operacional.

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