Healthcare Workers Describe Their Experiences in Caring for Ebola Patients

Interviews conducted in 2015 with eight nurses and one physician who had worked in Ebola care in Sierra Leone revealed two themes: "Experiencing security by learning to manage risks," and "Developing courage and growth by facing personal fears." The healthcare workers described their reliance on training, organized effort, strict guidelines and equipment. They were respectful of the risk of transmission, made risk assessments, took responsibility, handled risky situations, and were reminded of suffering and death.

"The ongoing globalization implies that such epidemics may not only be isolated to developing countries. Therefore, all health professionals need to be prepared for management of highly contagious deadly diseases," said Dr. Asa Hornsten, lead author of the Journal of Advanced Nursing study.