Help health care workers overcome COVID-19 impact

I am a registered nurse at one of the epicenters of the coronavirus. For those on the front lines, it is an unfathomable situation. We have been adjusting on a daily basis as we treat and attempt to contain the spread of the virus.

When I speak with my peers about life other than work, the conversation turns to needed distractions, shows on Netflix, and the need to relax. But these methods of distraction don’t last long, and it seems impossible to relax. Within 12 hours, we face the reality of returning to battle: The stress is unrelenting, and any escape barely momentary.

My concern, among many, is for the cumulative effect of this crisis on health care professionals. After the 9/11 attacks, front-line heroes struggled to cope with the tragic event, and significant psychological impact. In a survey of Pentagon employees months after 9/11, 26.9% of respondents screened positive for generalized anxiety disorders.

The demands of this pandemic preclude taking the time for needed self-care. In general, caregivers often feel too busy to stop to care for ourselves. For some of us, it is never the right time. For others, our stoicism does not allow us to acknowledge our pain.

The public support is terrific, but as the crisis recedes, we may be at higher risk to the emotional trauma of this crisis. The lasting effects on many health care workers will persist for years and might take a toll on the quality of the care they provide. Anxiety, lack of sleep, and depression can impact clinicians’ decision-making.

Right now, we must anticipate the emotional needs of health care professionals, and develop and be ready to implement a range of supportive and restorative measures to care for them. Plans should include:

• Foster mandated self-care time during the epidemic. It should not be optional. Any impact on health care professionals will persist for years if not addressed.
• Develop a model for resiliency. This might be essential for all health care providers. Master Resilience Training was developed by the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the United States Army. It was used by the military to identify protective factors and risk factors. Initially developed to help prevent depression, MRT focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder. This method is helpful to individuals who continuously face critical situations that can have lasting mental implications, if they are not adequately trained.
• Require debriefings by a licensed mental health professional. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, helps with a variety of mental illnesses, as well as emotional and ethical decisions. Psychotherapy can help by improving healing and promoting well-being.

Our work has its rewards, but also risks. We need to prepare and brace for continuing challenges and possible next COVID-19 waves by protecting against the pandemic’s physical, mental and emotional toll.

Alex Klotsche, an Adelphi University graduate and Huntington resident, is a staff nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell Medical Center, where he works in a COVID-19 unit with patients under continuous oxygen monitoring.