For more than 1 year, healthcare providers have been carrying the heavy load of the COVID-19 pandemic on their shoulders. Working long shifts, covering shifts when colleagues get sick, worrying about bringing COVID-19 home to family and friends, the never-ending sadness that many encountered, exhaustion, and the desire to remain strong and continue to help patients. The list goes on and on. The last year has been a whirlwind of trying to manage more than any of us thought we would ever need to do. Many put their own health concerns on hold. The pandemic will not be over for some time, and there is the belief that COVID-19 will be an endemic that we will need to manage on an ongoing basis. Delaying our own healthcare needs could create greater problems in the future.
Now that vaccination of healthcare workers has been possible, the time has come to begin to remember our own healthcare needs. Although all of the safety measures will need to remain in place, we know that through our own work that those measures work. It is now time to take time for each of our healthcare appointments and get caught up. In addition, self-help strategies to help us deal with what we have experienced during this last year should become a priority.
Recently, a family member who works in healthcare revealed that she had been watching a dark mole on her back for 1 year. Unable to take time off due to the tremendous needs of her position as a resident completing training and then jumping right into a fellowship, she just kept watching it. This was also compounded by the concerns about going to a doctor's appointment amidst a pandemic and what precautions were in place to protect patients. Even a provider decided to delay an appointment. Once vaccinated, the concern over this mole took over and she went forward with an appointment with a dermatologist. Unfortunately, the pathology report was not good, thus requiring further wide excision.
Why do I include this story? It points to the need for continuing self-care despite the pressures we all face within our current healthcare positions. Did you postpone your annual primary care provider (PCP) appointment? Do you even have a PCP? What about the mammogram that is 2 years past due? High blood pressure, cholesterol, or even worse problems did not disappear when COVID-19 arrived and took all of our attention. In addition, the mental health needs of providers who have been in daily stressful environments must be attended too.
A good resource for helpful information is through the American Nurse Enterprise, Well Being Initiative. The American Nurse Enterprise is a group of organizations that make up the American Nurses Association. They are the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the American Nurses Foundation. There are many helpful resources available at: https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/disa.
Take time to think about you! You have been giving so much during this past year. Plan to GIVE to yourself by spending important time on yourself. It is well deserved!