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Paper short abstract:

Nurses faced a dual burden during the COVID-19 crisis in Fiji, caring for dying patients in overwhelmed hospitals while balancing personal loss. This paper explores the experiences of Fijian nurses during and after the pandemic, highlighting the need for support systems for frontline workers.

Paper long abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vulnerabilities of health systems in low- and middle-income countries, with Fiji reporting the highest pandemic-related mortality rate in the Pacific by late 2021. Nurses were at the frontlines of this crisis, experiencing the double burden of surging patient deaths in under-resourced settings, while also struggling to manage personal loss and heightened familial responsibilities.

This professional and personal grief was compounded by chronic workforce shortages and challenging working conditions that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the health system under extreme pressure, nurses assumed new roles beyond clinical care, including preparing food, managing laundry services, sterilising hospital wards, and preparing and accompanying the deceased for burial.

This paper presents preliminary findings from a case study investigating the experiences of nurses who worked during the pandemic. In early 2025, group talanoa (discussion) sessions were conducted with nurses across Fiji to explore their changing roles. Nurses described the emotional weight of caring for dying patients who were not permitted to have family present, the disruptions to deeply embedded cultural traditions of mourning and farewelling the dead, and the ongoing emotional scars of the pandemic – which are still raw almost four years after the height of the crisis in Fiji in 2021.

This paper contributes to broader discussions on death and crisis by illustrating how pandemic-induced disruptions to professional and cultural practices reshaped experiences of loss, care, and resilience. Furthermore, the research highlights the need for more robust support systems for frontline workers navigating future crises.