The Weight We Carry: Mental Health and the African Nurse
By Ojebode Dorcas Ifeoluwa (The Nurse_writer)
We show up strong, not because we’re unbreakable, but because we’ve mastered the art of breaking in silence.
Nurses across Africa are holding it all together for their patients, their families, and their communities. But who holds them?
It’s Not Just About Burnout; It’s About Being Human.
We talk a lot about burnout these days and rightly so. But sometimes, the exhaustion nurses feel isn’t just from long shifts or low staffing. It’s from life itself.
Many nurses are going through silent storms.
Some are in toxic marriages, navigating separation or loss.
Some are battling illnesses that no one knows about.
Some are caring for children alone or supporting entire families on a stretched salary.
Some are grieving siblings, parents, partners and still expected to smile through the shift.
And still, we show up.
Silence Is a Tradition We Need to Break
In many African settings especially in healthcare, emotional vulnerability is often seen as weakness. So we’ve learned to say, “I’m fine,” when we’re not.
We’ve learned to work with full hearts and empty tanks.
When a nurse says she’s tired, she’s told to “be strong.”
When a colleague breaks down, it’s whispered about instead of supported.
We’re taught to power through, not pause.
But pushing through isn’t always strength. Sometimes, true strength is saying, “I need help.”
More Than a Nurse, Still a Person
Strip away the uniform, and what do you find?
A woman with dreams, wounds, and worries.
A man juggling his job and personal battles.
A woman going through a miscarriage while still showing up for night duty—because she could only get a few days off.
A nurse caring for aging parents while battling hypertension.
A nurse who stays up after work to help her child with homework, even when she has nothing left to give.
You see, a nurse is not just the one giving injections or checking charts.
She’s the one dealing with endometriosis but still reporting to work.
He’s the one masking anxiety while leading the morning handover.
Little wonder; sometimes we don’t leave our personal struggles at the hospital gate; they follow us in.
We are human beings in need of just as much care as we give.
We Can’t Pour From Empty Cups
It’s time we create space for nurses to be whole. To rest. To seek therapy. To speak freely without fear or shame.
Hospitals need to implement wellness programs that go beyond “motivational talks.”
Government bodies need to make mental health support accessible and affordable for all healthcare workers.
And we—nurses—need to normalize asking for help, checking in on each other, and prioritizing ourselves too.
Because caring for others should never mean neglecting yourself.
We Deserve Better; And It Starts With Us
Dear African nurse, you are strong but you are also allowed to be tired.
You are capable but also allowed to cry.
You are a hero but still human.
Let’s shift the culture.
Let’s build systems that heal the healers.
Let’s speak up for ourselves and each other.
Because the weight we carry is real and it’s time the world sees it.
