The SARS crisis: reflections of Hong Kong nurses.
BACKGROUND
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) exerted a massive toll on Hong Kong's healthcare system in 2003.


OBJECTIVE
This research examines front-line nurses' reflections on the time of SARS in Hong Kong in order to articulate: (1) the nature and complexity of their experience, and (2) what lessons can be learned for future disease crises.


METHODS
Personal reflective essays written in 2004 by seven senior nurses studying a part-time Masters in Nursing degree at a Hong Kong university were analysed using a form of content analysis.


RESULTS
The nurses' stories report immense personal costs on nurses, on their families and on the wider community. The analysis of the narratives was used to build a model, indicating how nurses' personal lives were 'sandwiched' between, on the one hand, their commitment to families and local community and, on the other hand, their professional commitment to the needs of a health system in crisis.


CONCLUSIONS
In dealing with future health crises, it is imperative that a multilevel approach be taken.
Holroyd
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Division of Nursing and Midwifery, Bundoora Campus, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. eleanor.holroyd@rmit.edu.au
McNaught
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D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D033262:Narration; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010356:Patient Isolation / Q000523:psychology; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology