Most of us haven’t been inside a COVID-19 ward, and it’s hard to fathom what frontline medical workers are experiencing every day.
That’s why I want to share this video with Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD with you.
Danielle is an attending physician at Bellevue Hospital in New York, and she’s worked with COVID-19 patients at the epicenter of the crisis in the US.
We asked her what mental health professionals need to understand about what medical workers are going through right now. I’ll let you hear the answer from her.
In addition to her work as an internist, Danielle is also author of several books, including When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error and What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine. If you’d like to find out more, go to danielleofri.com.
Now we’d like to hear from you. Please tell us your biggest takeaways from the video below.
Thanks Dr. Olfi, I am an RN redeployed to Front Line. It has been extremely stressful not only on me but also my family. Your video was very validating. Thank you.
This was very compassionately spoken. As a case worker during the AIDS epidemic and the COVID pandemic the suffering of healthcare workers is something you cant go home and talk to with your family and friends. I’ve struggled with getting back to the marathon ..after this very long hard dash. Intrusive thoughts and sensations prevail. Who am I as a result of this?? Who will I become as a result of my experiences? Your clarity was very helpful!