Individual Medical Readiness: Concept Clarification

This qualitative exploratory study addressed the nature of Individual Medical Readiness (IMR) for Army Nurse Corps (ANC) personnel and the component parts of IMR for ANC personnel. Specifically, the study aimed to develop a theoretical definition of IMR and to specify the variables derived. The study also aimed to develop a visual model of IMR. Although of prime concern to the military, this concept had not been clearly defined nor had the components been completely delineated.

Concept clarification was the framework for this inductive approach. Three focus groups were formed, each comprising Army active, guard, and reserve component field grade and company grade officers and non-commissioned officers. Each focus group met in 2 sessions. The first session employed electronic brainstorming technology and a technographer to detail the nature and component parts of IMR. The second session was a more traditional focus group in which informants discussed and further clarified ideas generated in the first session. Methodological rigor was ensured by optimizing credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

Analytic procedures fell into 5 modes: (1) organizing the data; (2) generating categories, patterns, and themes; (3) testing emergent hypotheses against the data; (4) searching for alternate explanations for the data; and (5) preparing the report. Qualitative analysis yielded an ethnographic narrative summary and content analysis summary to define broad themes across groups.

The focus groups developed the following definition of individual readiness: "Individual readiness is a dynamic concept with dimensions at the individual, group, and system levels, which together influence one's ability to prepare to accomplish the mission."

Recurring themes from the three focus groups specified six interrelated components of individual medical readiness and their corresponding ideas: clinical competency, operational competency, soldier/survival skills, personal/psychosocial/physical readiness, leadership and administrative support, and group integration and identification.

Final report is available on NTRL: https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/dashboard/searchResults/titleDetail/PB2007107...