Grief on the front lines: The hidden toll on Liberian nurses during the Ebola crisis

Résumé

The 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Liberia exposed nurses to unprecedented clinical, emotional, and moral challenges. Beyond the physical risks of infection, Liberian nurses bore a profound and largely unacknowledged burden of grief as they witnessed repeated patient deaths, lost colleagues and family members, and delivered care under extreme isolation and fear. This article examines grief as a central yet hidden consequence of front-line nursing during the Ebola crisis, drawing on narrative accounts, professional reflections, and documented experiences from Liberian nurses. It highlights the multiple dimensions of grief—personal, professional, collective, and moral—and how these intersected with stigma, inadequate protection, and disrupted care giving norms. Despite these losses, nurses demonstrated remarkable resilience, transforming grief into solidarity, advocacy, and continued service. Recognizing and addressing grief is essential for rebuilding resilient health systems. Integrating psycho-social support, grief counseling, and memorialization into emergency preparedness is critical to safeguarding the well-being of nurses in future epidemics.

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