Introduction
In the essay “Nurse in Vietnam,” Jacqueline Navarro Rhoads recounts her experiences as a young nurse during the Vietnam War, having joined the military at the age of twenty-one. She was largely unprepared for what was ahead of her because not even her training in the US was enough practice for what happened on the war front in Vietnam. Rhoads experienced numerous gruesome events that fundamentally changed who her. She witnessed the deaths of soldiers from both the American and Vietnam sides. In other cases, she was able to save their lives, which made her develop a deep appreciation for the nursing profession. She also learned numerous skills that placed her well above her peers back home. From Rhoads’ experiences, it is evident that nurses must be adaptable, empathetic, and passionate.
Main body
Nurses must be able to adapt quickly to varying circumstances. In the healthcare field, things are bound to change suddenly and without notice. This is especially true for war nurses, such as Rhoads, who work in unpredictable conditions. At the beginning of the story, Rhoads (2001) narrates, “We were ordered off the plane, and everyone was supposed to lay down on the ground” (p.1025). Her team arrived in the middle of a rocket attack, and they had to adjust quickly, or they would die. Rhoads’s first experience in Vietnam was foreign to her because she did not expect that would happen upon her arrival. Furthermore, Rhoads (2001) narrates that part of their job was to identify bodies and determine the cause of death for each person. It was frightening and emotional for Rhoads for her first experience as a nurse to be identifying dead bodies. On another occasion, she performed a trach, a procedure that was typically done by doctors. Rhoads remained strong and adapted to her environment amidst the instability caused by the war. Nurses should not be rigid because the profession necessitates flexibility.
Nurses should also be able to understand what people are going through. Rhoads’ narration paints the picture of a nurse who is in touch with her emotional side. She made sure never to lose her humanity despite everything she witnessed. For example, the writer tells the story of Cliff, a triple amputee man who was severely injured by a landmine explosion. She narrates, “One of his legs was up underneath his chin so that he was able to look down at the underside of his foot” (p.1027). Cliff knew he would die and requested Rhoads to stay by his side. She held his hand until he died, took his dead body to the grave registration, and bagged him herself. Rhoads extended compassion to Cliff in his final moments. In including Cliff’s story in her narration, the author wants to show readers the connection that was formed between a nurse and a patient who was about to pass. The nurse was there with him, so he didn’t feel alone when he died. Rhoads’ story shows the importance of nurses maintaining their humanity even during dark times.
Nurses must also realize how valuable they are in the healthcare field, which helps to maintain their morale. Once she returned to the US, Rhoads had undergone so much change. She quickly realized how intense her experience in Vietnam was. However, she felt misunderstood by her friends and family and realized that the fact that she was a nurse in Vietnam during the war was not important to her family. She questions them, “Gee don’t you want to hear about what was going on there, and what we did, and how proud you should be of your soldiers and your nurses and doctors?” (Rhoads, 2001, p.1032). Rhoads thought people would love to hear about her experiences, but she was wrong. She wanted to return to Vietnam, where she felt needed. Rhoads remarks that she would serve as a military nurse if ever she was called upon to do so. Though nursing can sometimes be an underappreciated or unrecognized profession, nurses must do what they do with passion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Rhoads changed in many ways that helped her grow mentally and emotionally. She was no longer the little girl who had just come out from nursing school with no life experience. Despite her young age, she quickly grew accustomed to all kinds of strange things. Rhoads encountered death but also saved many lives in the Vietnam War. Through all this, she treated the wounded soldiers with kindness and empathy. She also developed exceptional skills as a healthcare provider because she was often required to perform duties beyond the scope of a nurse. When Rhoads returned home to the US, she was swept by a sense of emptiness because she was away from the battlefield where she felt most useful. She was passionate about helping people, a quality she carried with her even when she retired from active military service and began teaching nursing. Rhoads’ story shows the importance of nurses being adaptable to their environment, compassionate to their patients, and zealous about nursing.
Reference
Rhoads, J. N (2001). Nurses in Vietnam. In War and power (pp. 1025-1034)