Dr. Shannon Tosounian, DO recently asked her followers:
“What’s the most ridiculous personal scenario in which you have still shown up to work?”
The range and severity of the responses she received were alarming. In her latest blog post, she explores the concept of “presenteeism” by posing questions such as “how does showing up to work under dangerous and extraordinary circumstances affect our caretakers and our patients, and why does it happen in the first place?”
Below are a few testimonies from healthcare professionals:
“As an intern I worked a 12-hour ICU shift with the flu. I was having active chills and my nose was running to the extent that my mask was getting wet. Instead of being told to go home by the ICU attendings and fellows I was told to change my mask. At the end of my shift I went to Walgreens to get my prescription for Tamiflu which was called in by a third year resident who could see how sick I was and a thermometer. My temperature was 102.3 on Advil.”
“I went to work while my sister was dying of cancer in the ICU. I am a hematology/oncology fellow. I live that day everyday.”
“Found out I failed USMLE Step 1 at the beginning of clinical and had to stay and work through the rest of the day. Took a call with one of the school Deans in between patients crying on a bench outside the hospital. Then I wiped my tears and went back to clinical. My attending asked if I was in ‘trouble” and I laughed and went to see my next patient.”
Ultimately what we are seeing are healthcare professionals becoming trapped in a vicious cycle in which workers are not able to reach their desirable performance, leading to emotional exhaustion further decreasing their efficacy.
To read the rest of Dr. Tosounian’s blog click here.
What are some personal scenarios in which you have still shown up to work?
