Sources and symptoms of stress among nurses in the first Chinese anti-Ebola medical team during the Sierra Leone aid mission: A qualitative study

Liu, Chunzi; Wang, Huaming; Zhou, Lin; Xie, Hui; Yang, Huiyin; Yu, Yanbo; Sha, Huayan; Yang, Ying; Zhang, Xin

"The stress was highest before formally meeting patients as the training processes did not provide direct appreciation of the effects of Ebola. We were not sure whether or not the prevention and control measures were proper and effective. We were also concerned about other infectious diseases such as malaria and typhoid." (Nurse B) "During the middle stage, we focused on proper protection to avoid infection. The first couple of days were used to adjust and we were all cautious. Later on, we found that we worked well with the nurses from Sierra Leone and protection measures were properly carried out. Additionally, many of us had experience in handling SARS and flu, and we trusted our team members. Therefore, stress was not significant after we started work." (Nurse C) "During the later stage, the stress was not significant. It was close to the end and we were very excited. However, we were still nervous about possible problems, such as inadequate protection or omission." (Nurse I)