Lethbridge college nursing students learn how to perform injections during class on Thursday, February 10 2022.
Healthcare Workers are experiencing severe stress and work burnouts more than ever. With a rise in COVID-19 cases as we head into 2022, staff shortages in various hospital departments across Canada have been contributing to an increase in mental health issues for many workers. Licensed Practical Nurse, Tiffany Sokalski says the current situation takes a lot of tolls physically and mentally.
“You feel almost pressured to pick up more [shifts] even though you’re already overworked and tired, there’s a lot of acutely sick people in the hospital that requires a lot of attention”
According to Statistics Canada, seven in ten healthcare workers reported to have worsening mental health during the pandemic, participating healthcare workers who worked in direct contact with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 and those who experienced restrictions or conditions on the supply of personal protective equipment were more affected than others.
Sokalski says one of the main ways she tries to reduce her work stress is to try to clear her mind as soon as she leaves the workplace.
“When I leave the hospital, I just try to leave everything there and I just try not to think about anything I just did,” says Sokalski
Lethbridge College Nursing Instructor, Marie Laenen advice front line workers to recognize the toll of the stress and understand that it is not a personal defect, but rather a result of the environment.
“There are things we can do to mitigate the impacts such as mindfulness and meditation. These ways of being, take a few minutes a day and have huge impacts. Mindfulness is realizing that the moment now does not need to define the future or the past and that we can move through feelings, beliefs, and perspectives and then let them go,” explained Laenen
During the beginning of the pandemic, healthcare and frontline workers were highly praised and labelled as ‘heroes” by the majority, but as time passed people became more divisive, which led to a whole new set of challenges.
“I think people often do not realize the level of violence, disrespect, and belligerence that healthcare workers deal with daily. Our resources are stretched so thin, and people become frustrated with the long waits, or the inability to tend to every need they have,” says Laenen
Although many people have different opinions and beliefs regarding the pandemic, Laenen states that majority of healthcare workers genuinely cares for their patients and just want’s everyone to get healthy.
The Government of Alberta provides support for Alberta public service employees and their family members through the employee and family assistance program. To access resource and services call 1-800-268-511 or go to workhealthlife.com
