In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m taking a detour from the usual patient safety topics I try to focus on in this blog.
Nurses are consistently rated by the public as the most trusted profession in the United States, with other healthcare providers having similar ratings near the top. The public looks to us in times of crisis to be a voice of reason and to provide accurate information.
Yet, that can be challenging right now. We are working and living in times of uncertainty and chaos right now. Information changes daily. We lack evidence to base some decisions on. We lack enough equipment to feel that we are protecting ourselves and our patients.
So, what can we do? I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers, but here are five things we can offer to our friends, family, and communities:
1. Let’s do what we know works. Encourage the public to do the basics: Handwashing for at least 20 seconds, staying home unless you are an essential worker, social distancing. Wearing gloves and bandanas to the grocery store, and setting boxes out in the sun, likely won’t help. Instead, ask people to donate those gloves to healthcare workers and just wash their hands.
2. Don’t immerse yourself in the news. The intensity of the news around this pandemic is impressive right now. It is easy to get sucked in and to become more anxious about the situation. A short 5-minute briefing each day can keep us informed, then we can move on to other topics.
3. Self-care is important. Self-care looks different to each of us – maybe it is watching a movie, listening to music, playing video games, reading a book, drawing, going for a walk, taking a nap, mowing the lawn…whatever it is, do it, and try not to be judgmental about what others who live with you find distracts them or nourishes their soul.
4. Stay connected. Most humans, even those who describe themselves as “homebodies” or “introverts,” are wired for some degree of human connection. It can be hard to be around the same people all the time and to have our usual social routines disrupted. Be sure to reach out to others, whether it is through video, phone, or social media.
5. Be grateful. It is easy to focus on all the things we can’t do right now. Each day try to remember the things we can do and to be grateful for them. Perhaps we have the chance to eat together as a family more. Maybe we have the chance to take a walk more often. Maybe we can sit outside and hear the birds chirp and appreciate that spring is coming.
There is a lot of uncertainty and stress in the world right now, and we all feel it to some degree. We must all hold on the idea that it won’t be this way forever. At some point normalcy will return.
To my friends in healthcare on the front lines: Thanks for all you are doing. This is a time where your skills, knowledge, and compassion are needed more than ever. In the face of shortages of equipment and staff, plus an influx of patients, you are showing up and working hard. Your community appreciates your sacrifices and your efforts more than words can express.
Be safe, and be well.
#COVID19#Nurses
Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels
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