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

Abstract

A mission of the Navy Nurse Corps is to deploy medical support for military forces on short notice. Navy nurses must possess a working knowledge of trauma management, but meeting this clinical experience is a challenge. Peacetime military hospitals do not routinely care for severely injured patients. This article describes how the Navy established a partnership with a Level 1 Trauma Center, the role and expectations for both Navy and civilian nurses, and an evaluation of the experience. (Int J Trauma Nurs 2001;7:49-56.)