Aims. To provide a synthesis of the experience of nursing in the Vietnam Wa
r.
Rationale. War and nursing are linked unequivocally. As battles have raged
over the centuries, nurses have attended the ill and wounded soldiers, nurs
ing them back to health or into death and the study of this phenomenon form
s a significant part of Australia's nursing history. However, a review of t
he Australian scholarly nursing and military history literature revealed th
at the experiences of Australian nurses in the Vietnam War has not been wid
ely published. In an attempt to redress this gap in Australian nursing and
military history, the aim of this study was to analyse the nature of the nu
rsing work in the Vietnam War, and to increase awareness and understanding
of the experience of nurses in the war within the nursing profession.
Methods. Using oral history interviews, this study investigated the nature
of nursing work as experienced by 17 Australian Army nurses who served in t
he Australian Military Hospital in Vung Tau between 1967 and 1971.
Findings. The vast majority of the nursing sisters sent to Vietnam knew lit
tle about the type of work or the environment into which they were entering
and were, therefore, clinically unprepared. It appeared that, by virtue of
their being a nurse, it was an expectation that the nurses would adapt to
the nature of their work in the war zone. However, this study also revealed
that, although the nurses adapted professionally, their memories of their
experiences have affected many personally.
Conclusions. This paper will increase current knowledge significantly regar
ding the phenomenon of nursing in the Vietnam War, enabling a greater under
standing of the experience.