Like many healthcare workers, Royal University Hospital ER nurse Carol Scrivener has had a stressful year.
She said in some ways, it has been “business as usual” in the emergency department, but in other ways, they’ve had to adapt to changes.
“Basically, everything has changed — every policy, every procedure and screening every patient that comes in for COVID,” Scrivener said as a few examples.
She said the ER has been working non-stop, but everyone knows it’s necessary.
“COVID has pretty much taken over our lives. I know for myself, I haven’t taken any time off since 2019. It’s been a long haul,” Scrivener said.
She added it’s been critical to practise self-care. For Scrivener, sticking to a sleep schedule and writing music helps her de-stress.
While she looks forward to when things can go back to being normal, she expects there will be some long-lasting impacts.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of burnout among healthcare workers,” she said.
“We’re pushing through that and I think, unfortunately, there’s going to be probably some PTSD as well.”
Comments