In a recent survey of front-line healthcare workers, 70.9% report feeling emotionally exhausted and 40% say they have moderate to severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Elsewhere, they identify several key pressures of working during the pandemic:
- Constant workforce and occupational disruption, including working longer, unpaid hours.
- Worries about being able to provide quality care for patients and the toll on everyone of visitor restrictions.
- Being blamed by co-workers when they were exposed to or infected with COVID-19.
- Worrying about people who were unable to get healthcare for other medical conditions during the pandemic because they were reluctant to seek care or because services were cut back and some procedures cancelled.
- A surge in mental illness among patients and colleagues.
- Concerns about being safe at work and worries about bring COVD home to their families.
Respondents indicate that the pandemic exposed some cracks in the system, including infrastructure issues and serious workforce shortages. Many say they are considering leaving the field.
