Part 1: How Front Line Workers Feel

Front line clinicians have become very crucial, especially during the pandemic, representing the best of humanity. Take a look at the interviews done by Scientific American, asking doctors, therapists, nurses, and respiratory therapists working in the hospitals across the country.

ANA DELGADO

Nurse Midwife and Clinical Professor in San Francisco, Calif

"There are just a lot of injustices that we as clinicians are aware of and feel powerless to do much about. People call this 'burnout,' but one of my colleagues talks about how that seems associated with self blame, like you got something wrong. Most people go into health care because of a deep commitment to supporting the health and wellness of their community. When you actually become a provider, you're thrust into this system that is not really set up to promote health and wellness, and you're constantly confronted with this discrepancy. The pandemic makes the issues worse, and it's painful to witness. That's not burnout, it's a deep moral injury that people are experiencing."

ROXY JOHNSON

Emergency Room Nurse

Dallas, Texas

"For me the hardest part has been isolation. I've had an eerie sense of calm and peace about all of this up until now, but recently I have started to feel something inside that is not me. I think it's separation, the loneliness of keeping everyone at arm's length. Sometimes I get in the car, blast music and just go. I ran out of gas on a joy ride last week."

Reference: Scientific American, June 2020, How the Healers Feel