Healthcare workers at the time of the Coronavirus work tirelessly and without the necessary protective measures. They are subjected to a whirlwind of anxieties and anguish, long shifts, dramatic scenes they will never forget. It is therefore essential that they receive all the psychological help needed to deal with this crisis.
Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 15 November 2021
Healthcare professionals at the time of the Coronavirus need psychological help. In the war against the virus, our soldiers do not count on the necessary protective measures, are constantly exposed to the disease and have to face hectic and stressful shifts every day. But the worst thing is to feel helpless in the face of any lost life. The whirlwind of emotions is distressing and will have consequences in the future.
The situation described concerns many countries around the world. Doctors, nurses, auxiliaries and other health professionals have been trained to deal with the most difficult situations, even emergencies. They know how to behave in the event of road accidents, fires, terrorist attacks or natural disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes.
Still, the Coronavirus caught us all off guard. Nobody expected it. Until a few months ago the term "pandemic" belonged to the past, no one could have foreseen it.
It was difficult to imagine that something could upset such a technological, industrialized, “perfect” present. Yet it has happened and it is our health workers who have to fight on the front lines against an unknown enemy. And they give their best every day, without giving up.
The Ministry of Health and the unions of doctors and nurses have pronounced themselves: these categories are paying and will pay a very high price. The emotional overload that healthcare workers are subjected to at the time of the Coronavirus could turn into post-traumatic stress tomorrow.
They appear strong, they do their job with undeniable professionalism, but without the right psychological help they risk breaking down.
Our health workers at the time of the Coronavirus need psychological help
Retired doctors were called back to their profession. Medical and nursing students of recent years are finding themselves facing early what will be perhaps the hardest work experience of their lives.
Health professionals from other countries are arriving, volunteers who have chosen to take a plane to assist and offer support in an emergency situation that is collapsing our country.
It is an exceptional situation and only those who experience it can understand what it really means. Our health professionals need urgent psychological help for two reasons.
First of all, to be able to better manage the life of these days. Secondly, to reduce the future consequences of the experiences lived, of the lives lost, of the fear experienced and of the efforts that did not help to save that old man, that woman, that man ...
What are the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for healthcare professionals?
These days we have appeared on our balconies to applaud our health workers. It is the only thing we can do for them, stay at home and contain the curve of infections, making them reach our affection and admiration from afar.
Yet we are not always aware of what is happening. During their days, healthcare workers at the time of the Coronavirus face:
- Lack of PPE (personal protective equipment).
- Collapse of patients and difficulty in helping them.
- In the early 2000s SARS epidemic, only one-fifth of global infections were infected with health workers. We have already exceeded this percentage today.
- A very high level of exposure. To date, more than 40 health workers have died in Spain.
- In addition to the fear of being infected, there is the risk of infecting family members. Returning home means getting rid of clothes and washing quickly so as not to contaminate the family unit.
- They are forced to make quick and often heartbreaking decisions. How to choose which patient to give an artificial respirator based on everyone's life expectancy.
- Levels of stress, emotional distress, and anxiety are sky-high.
What psychological help can be given to health professionals at the time of the Coronavirus?
Doctors and nurses need psychological help and they require it now. The interventions and strategies to do this are as follows:
- First of all, ensure the safety of the operator. Not having adequate means causes anguish.
- Adequate organizational strategies need to be developed. Too long shifts should be avoided and breaks during the day should be ensured and proper nutrition.
- Every health care practitioner must recognize their limitations. We are not all the same and we do not all resist certain situations in the same way. Starting the shift emotionally and mentally shaken can lead to mistakes, and we can afford it. If the operator feels exhausted, he must be free to ask for help.
- When the operator leaves the hospital and returns home, he must be able to reset his mind. As much as possible, try to leave the day's experiences behind and think about rest and recreation at home.
- It is advisable to create spaces for emotional release and meeting between professionals. It is about creating a supportive therapeutic environment in which to share your experiences, let off steam, share tears and offer support to each other.
- It is necessary to create an intervention protocol for guarantee weekly psychological help to our health professionals. This is essential to prevent them from developing PTSD when it all ends. The depression index associated with this crisis will be even higher if we don't take the right measures right away.
Conclusions
Finally, doctors, nurses, auxiliaries and employees in health centers are real soldiers in this battle, and it is right to equip them with the necessary tools to fight, both material and psychological.
They are experiencing dramas that they don't even have time to process, and this could have serious consequences in the future. Let's take care of those who save us. We offer support to our modern heroes.
