Figure 3-3. Department of Nursing in a typical MEDCEN/MEDDAC hospital
3-43. CHARACTERISTICS OF ARMY NURSING CARE
The nursing care provided in Army hospitals differs somewhat from that rendered
in civilian hospitals because of the inherent characteristics of military life.
a. Most military patients are healthy young people who are temporarily
incapacitated by injury or acute illness. These patients are frequently hospitalized for
longer periods of time than civilian patients with similar medical conditions. This is
because the military patient, when discharged from the hospital, normally must return to
a barracks-type environment that affords little privacy, crowded latrines, and no facilities
for such recuperative treatment as tub baths or soaks. Accordingly, many military
patients are no longer ill but are not yet ready to return to a duty status. These patients
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