A “Boots on the Ground” Perspective of Caring for the Women and Children in Afghanistan

Abstract

In 1972 Margarete V. Silberberg wrote about her nursing experience when caring for women at a Kabul, Afghanistan, hospital. Based on my experience during a recent deployment to Afghanistan, I describe providing health care to Afghan women and children as a military Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. Delivering health care presented the threat of physical harm for the health care team and those who received the care. Afghan women and children continue to experience significant cultural, religious, and social circumstances that limit their education, personal development, protection from abuse, and access to health care.