Integrative Review for Building a Body of Knowledge on the Military Nursing Role

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the phenomenon surrounding military nursing roles by reviewing literature and to provide foundational data for further research and knowledge development on nursing roles in Korea. Methods: The study was conducted using an integrative review of Whittemore and Knafl. Electronic databases were searched using the search term combination of "military nursing" and "role." The search was limited to studies published in English and Korean. Results: We reviewed 565 papers related to military nursing roles from 2011 to 2021 and finally selected 15 studies. An analysis of concepts for this study was based on Topology of four domains in the nursing knowledge system. A problematic phenomenon was identified among military nursing clients, including active soldiers and their family members. Retired soldiers needed consistent healthcare from the experiential perspective. There was role conflict as warrior nurses within the interaction of the client-nurse domain. In the nursing domain, caring, disease prevention, and competency building were identified as phases of deliberation and enactment. The environment for military nursing was characterized as physically austere and requiring urgent decision-making by nurses. Conclusion: The results of this study are expected to serve as foundational data for conceptualizing phenomena related to military nursing roles and for systematically building knowledge in Korea in the future.