Lexi Nussbaum, MsGH ’26
Faculty Mentor: Sharla Rent
This project examines the barriers that frontline healthcare workers face when delivering emergency care to maternal and child health patients in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania.
Through focus group discussions with nurses, physicians, and midwives across 10 healthcare facilities, we found that providers navigate not only equipment shortages, staffing gaps, and transportation delays, but also a profound and largely unaddressed psychological burden. Healthcare workers described symptoms of burnout, intrusive thoughts, sleep disruption, and anxiety, which was compounded by a pervasive culture of blame from legal systems, bereaved families, and colleagues. Despite universal recognition of the need for mental health support, no facilities in our study offered formal psychological services for staff.
This work highlights that sustainable, quality emergency care requires more than infrastructure and resource investment. It demands structured debriefing systems, communication training, and integrated mental health support for the providers on the frontlines. Ultimately, provider wellbeing and patient outcomes are inseparable, and both deserve attention.