Experiences of Yemeni Nurses in Providing Trauma Care During Armed Conflict: A Qualitative Study

This study aimed to explore the experiences of Yemeni nurses in providing trauma care during the ongoing armed conflict.

A qualitative descriptive design was used, and reporting followed the COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research) checklist.

Fourteen nurses with at least 2 years of trauma care experience in conflict-affected areas were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis.

The findings reveal a narrative of profound struggle in which nurses continually balanced professional responsibility with personal survival amid extreme resource scarcity, pervasive insecurity and significant psychological strain. Ten themes were identified: (1) Working Conditions and Resource Scarcity; (2) Adaptation and Clinical Innovation; (3) Nature and Patterns of War-Related Injuries; (4) Psychological and Emotional Impact; (5) Security Threats and Safety Concerns; (6) Interprofessional Collaboration; (7) Ethical Dilemmas and Moral Distress; (8) Gender Dimensions of Conflict Nursing; (9) Systemic and Institutional Failures; and (10) Resilience and Professional Growth.

No patient or public contribution.

The findings demonstrate that trauma nursing in armed conflict extends beyond technical emergency care to managing persistent ethical dilemmas, severe resource shortages and continuous psychological stress. Nursing practice in conflict settings should therefore prepare nurses to deliver safe trauma care under austere conditions, respond effectively to mass-casualty incidents, strengthen ethical decision-making when resources are limited, provide structured psychological support and equip nurses with conflict-specific competencies that enable them to adapt while protecting nurses' safety and wellbeing as well as patient safety.