Experiences of the civilian Iranian operating room nurses: A historical survey of the Iran-Iraq war

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Upon centuries, wars have taken over countries due to theadvancement of sophisticated warfare,causingseriousinjuries among soldiers. Nurses are directly involved in preoperative and postsurgical patient care. One of the most remarkable contributionsof the Iranian operating room nurses was to provide medical care for wounded soldiers in field hospitals during the Iran-Iraq war. Thisstudy aimed to explore the experiences of civilian operating room nurses infield hospitals at the frontlines during the Iran-Iraq war.Methods: This study was conducted using historical research methodology and oral history method throughin-depthinterviews withcivilian nurses engaged inoperating rooms during the war.Participants were selected via snowball sampling. This study investigatednursing practice in operating rooms as recountedby 16 civilian nurses who served in field hospitals inthe Iran-Iraq war during 1980-1988.Results: This study had six descriptive themes focusing on the experiences of nurses engaged in operating rooms during theIran-Iraqwar, and the results were obtainedin a narrative style. The main themes extracted from the study were“establishment of medical centersin the frontlines”, “organization of emergency medical teams”, “establishment of operating rooms”, “nursing duties inthe operatingroom”, “documentation of medical interventions”, and “vulnerability of nurses in the operating room”.Conclusion: The findings of this study will significantly enhance the current knowledge regarding operating room nursing practiceduringthe Iran-Iraq war, enabling a greater understanding of this particular medical experience.