SHARE Members Who Stayed in their Regular Job

The Good: Teamwork, Job Security, and Helping Patients and Families in a Crisis		The Difficult: Fear of the Virus, Constant Change, PPE
When asked what was good, SHARE members who stayed in their regular jobs had a lot to say. The most common themes were: · Teamwork, pulling together, depending on each other · Job security, having a steady paycheck · Helping patients, playing an important role in a time of crisis	SHARE Voices: “Helping patients, and huge support from all around the world!” “Our department felt like more of a team than it had in years.” “Knowing my coworkers supported me when it was so difficult.” “To be of service to our community. It helped my family a great deal with steady employment during such a stressful and uncertain time.” “I saw genuine respect, concern and sincere helpfulness between the workers and administration. Everyone pulled together in a way I’ve not seen in a long time here.”	Working during the COVID-19 surge this past spring was really hard for many SHARE members. 85% said their work at the beginning of the surge was more stressful than their usual work. Feeling safe: Among SHARE members from inpatient and technical departments, 31% said they felt safe, and 40% said they felt somewhat safe. Some commented that they felt safer as time went on. When asked what was difficult, comments from SHARE members who stayed in their regular jobs centered most often on: · Fear of getting sick, fear of bringing the coronavirus home to loved ones. · Constant change, fear of the unknown · Issues with PPE: not enough, constantly changing protocols · Taking care of very sick patients · No hazard pay or other recognition of the risk	SHARE Voices: “Daily threat of exposure. Daily threat of possible loss of life.” “The uncertainty of EVERYTHING. No one knew what was going on- what we were doing, constant changes. I felt completely overwhelmed.” “Going into my unit every day and not seeing my patients improving. It’s heart breaking.” “Having to re-use my N95 or having to use different type of respiratory mask for PUI makes me uneasy.” “The disregard for the lower end employees. The disregard for our concerns and the disregard for our safety in my department.” “Sometimes we were expected to work on-site with absolutely no manager or supervisor to support us, leaving us no one to go to with questions or concerns.” “One of the scariest times in my life.” “Many of us worked multiple doubles in a row. Missing lunches from being short staffed. Experienced multiple deaths one after another. All while wearing re-used PPE. Nurses and aides are the ones in the rooms with patients; COVID doctors did not go in the rooms. We should have been compensated as though it was a national emergency in which we were the front-liners, because we were.” “Each one of us wants to do their best. Our management could do so much to be encouraging. Even starting with a smile, or listening to an idea. From one of my managers, I just get stares or an eye roll.”

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