Opinion: Health care workers’ suffering goes far beyond burnout. Self-care isn’t the cure
We survived the pandemic’s early days with purpose-fueled adrenaline. Working in the epicenter of the first Covid-19 outbreak in the U.S., two of us (R.H. and K.H.) scrambled to transition as many patients as possible to telemedicine, but still worked on site in the hospital. Soon afterward, T.N. was on the frontlines as highly infectious patients flooded her intensive care unit. Our caseloads grew, and we worried about bringing Covid-19 home from the hospital and infecting vulnerable family members. Encouraged to engage in self-care, we walked and connected with colleagues. Eventually the pandemic took its toll, causing burnout, insomnia, anxiety, and grief.
Mounting evidence shows we aren’t alone.
