Danger, Duty, Resilience: A Phenomenological Study of Nurse Anesthetists' Lived Experiences During the Rwanda Marburg Outbreak.

Marburg virus disease, a hemorrhagic fever without approved vaccine or cure, emerged in Rwanda in late 2024. During the outbreak, nurse anesthetists provided critical care to severely ill patients, including infected colleagues. Healthcare workers comprised most confirmed cases, with anesthetists and nurses among the earliest fatalities. The voices of nurse anesthetists reveal the essence of the phenomenon. This study used the methods of inductive phenomonology to discover the essential meaning of the lived experiences of nurse anesthetists working in Kigali referral hospitals during the outbreak. Semistructured interviews conducted in English and Kinyarwanda were theme analyzed using qualitative software and secondary content analysis. All participants were experienced, practicing nurse anesthetists, of whom three tested positive for the virus after caring for Marburg patients. Five major themes emerged to encompass the essence of the phenomenon: endured trauma, duty amid danger, chaos to coordination, stigma and isolation, and transformation through crisis. Participants endured the profound trauma of panic, danger, grief, despair, and social rejection alongside professional commitment, resilience, and a renewed vision for their role in health crises.