Establishing a collaborative trauma training program with a community trauma center for military nurses

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Trauma Care
• Military Health

Background:

• The Navy Nurse Corps requires trauma management expertise for rapid medical support.
• Peacetime military hospitals offer limited opportunities for nurses to gain critical trauma care experience.
• This gap poses a challenge for deploying nurses effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the establishment of a partnership between the Navy Nurse Corps and a Level 1 Trauma Center.
• To define the roles and expectations for both Navy and civilian nurses within this collaborative trauma care setting.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of this inter-institutional training initiative.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative partnership was formed between Navy nurses and a civilian Level 1 Trauma Center.
• Clear roles and expectations were established for participating Navy and civilian nursing staff.
• The experience was systematically evaluated to assess its impact on clinical preparedness.

Main Results:

• Navy nurses acquired practical experience in managing severely injured patients.
• The partnership facilitated a mutual understanding and exchange of best practices between military and civilian nursing teams.
• The evaluation provided insights into the benefits and challenges of this training model.

Conclusions:

• Partnerships with civilian trauma centers are a viable strategy to enhance Navy nurse trauma competency.
• This model effectively bridges the clinical experience gap for military nurses.
• Such collaborations are crucial for ensuring the readiness of the Navy Nurse Corps for deployment.