Critical care nurses' experiences caring for the casualties of war evacuated from the front line: lessons learned and needs identified.

Nursing in a critical care environment is stressful, particularly when patients are young, previously healthy soldiers who have experienced multiple severe, life-threatening injuries. These injuries not only devastate the injured soldiers and their families, but also significantly impact the nurses caring for these patients. This article discusses some stressors identified by critical care nurses in two military medical treatment facilities where the most severely injured soldiers undergo definitive care, and examines the evolution of the concept of compassion fatigue, its symptoms, and methods of coping. Examples of how the nurses currently working with these young soldiers manage their own stressors are discussed and suggestions for successful coping strategies are provided.