The pressure on healthcare workers during the pandemic has been nothing short of extreme, but staying socially connected has been the best way to allviate mental and physical exhaustion, according to some.
Richmond resident and registered nurse Irish Gopuansuy said that working during the pandemic has been one of her toughest years as a nurse despite having been in the industry for 10 years.
However, the appreciation from her patients and the social connection she has maintained during the pandemic has kept her going when it got stressful at work.
“Seeing the patients and … how they truly appreciate our work and effort in taking good care of them makes my job worthwhile,” said Gopuansuy, adding that she works in the labour and delivery ward so she saw lots of “Covid babies.”
“Most days are very rewarding.”
Angela Ha, a Richmond Hospital X-ray technologist, agreed seeing the appreciation from her patients is what kept her motivated at work
“A lot of my patients are just so appreciative that we are still providing care to them and these routine exams…it makes me, of course, want to show up to work all the time. It’s a sense of duty.”
Both Gopuansuy and Ha have found spending time with family and friends has helped alleviate the pressure at work.
Gopuansuy said finding time to spend with people such as her husband, her loved ones and friends, as well as watching shows and cooking, helped her cope with her tough work days.
Meanwhile, Ha said small outdoor get-togethers with her colleagues during summer “did wonders” on her mental health.
Ha said seeing people outside of work became a form of emotional support that “just recharges the mental exhaustion.”
“The social part of it all is what keeps you from being in isolation and it’s like a self-care day that everyone needs, myself included.”
Both healthcare workers told the Richmond News a lot of their stress was due to the lack of staff in hospitals.
“It is stressful when we are short-staffed and you can’t really decline care to those in need. Nurses don’t really have the option to stay home either. I felt like I could’ve brought something home to my family, especially my elderly parents,” said Gopuansuy, adding she works 12-hour work shifts.
“With Covid, you are trying to do your best to care for others while taking all the necessary safety precautions to keep yourself healthy and safe.”
According to Ha, she saw many people in the hospital working longer hours, “six to seven days a week and (over time) every day.”
“By the summer of this year, we were getting burnt out physically and mentally,” she said.
Ha added, while new COVID-19 protocols in the hospital required more staff in certain areas to attend to COVID-19 patients, it made it difficult to find employees to cover shifts for those who were sick, injured or even on maternity leave.
People, Ha said, were “being pulled from other wards and areas to fill other departments.” When asked if this was something that has been happening recently, she replied that it was “nothing new, and it’s (been) ongoing since COVID-19” began.
“Being a healthcare worker is a path that you have chosen because you truly care and provide the help for others.
“If I know I’m physically able and healthy and well to come in, then I will continue to show up.
