Nurses’ experiences of health concerns, teamwork, leadership and knowledge transfer during an Ebola outbreak in West Africa

Abstract

Aim: To describe nurses’ experiences of health concerns, teamwork, leadership and management and knowledge transfer during an Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Design: The study has a qualitative descriptive design. Methods: The 44 nurses who had worked in an Ebola Treatment Centre in Kenema in 2014 and 2015 were invited by email to respond to a questionnaire. The qualitative, open-ended answers were analysed using a thematic analysis. Data have been coded systematically, with the identification of semantic patterns presented in four themes. Results: The themes are as follows: personal health management—a way to feel safe and secure for delegates and affiliates; pre-deployment training—crucial for a joint value base and future collaboration; the importance of a professional democratic approach and being a good role model; and the value of timely in-depth knowledge transfer of experienced former delegates.