“Social workers and case managers are fighting the most difficult fight of their career.”

An ER and ICU social worker describes her struggle to help patients at a time when resources are tight.

I want to share this story because everyone is recognizing the doctors and nurses fighting COVID-19, but there is a whole medical team behind them. Social workers and case managers are fighting the most difficult fight of their career, not only exposing themselves to the virus, but trying to figure out social situations (housing, families, etc..) daily while the rules are changing. 

We are trying to navigate a system whose purpose is to block us out, but we continue to do what is best for our patients, and continue to advocate daily. We speak for those who don’t have a voice.

I’m most afraid that this will become the “new norm” of healthcare. The way our healthcare system is not valuing its employees equally.

The thing that makes me happiest during this COVID crisis are the teams I am surrounded by. I could not walk into the hospital daily without the support of my ICU, Social Work, and ED teams. They keep me going. They are my family, now that I can’t see my biological family anymore.

But the lows are low. My saddest moment has been literally holding a young wife up in a chair. A young wife who, moments before, drove her husband to the hospital (like in the movies, honking like crazy in our ambulance bay). And holding her while hearing her husband suffered a cardiac arrest due to COVID. Being unable to allow her to see him due to the risk of exposure.

I wish the world knew that no one has the answers. No one truly understands what is going on, and we are all holding on by a thread. Everyone currently is suffering some form of depression, and that is OKAY!

Courtney, Emergency Room and ICU Social Worker