Coping behaviors of U.S. Army flight nurses in World War II: an oral history

War is a universally stressful event that may tax or exceed one's ability to cope. This study addressed how flight nurses with the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II coped with war; the purpose was to analyze data obtained from oral histories of 25 flight nurses who served in World War II. Content analysis of the data revealed two levels of coping; a taxonomy of coping efforts was developed for each level. The microscopic level consisted of specific external and internal demands occurring during the war that necessitated coping. The macroscopic level consisted of behavioral and cognitive efforts used to cope with the war in general. Findings suggest that the women perceived their wartime experience as a challenge rather than as a threat and were thus able to make the best of the stressful wartime situation.