DEBRIEFING FOR FRONTLINE STAFF
Every week the national statistics of the COVID-19 be it the deaths or the positive cases are alarming. This has a bearing on the front line staff as they experience burnout and stress which can be attributed to these situations. The advent of COVID-19 have brought unprecedented anxiety to the frontline staff as they go on about addressing the effects of the pandemic. A Singaporean study by Tan and others highlighted the prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress amongst health workers on account of COVID-19.
Other set of workers may experience compassion fatigue. In the pursuit of caring for the clients affected by the pandemic, frontline workers convey compassion and empathy towards the patients which may in the long run predispose them to compassion fatigue. This emotional burden or moral distress experienced by frontline staff can be managed by carrying out regular debriefing sessions. Debriefing is pivotal in that it help workers process their experiences. The debriefing sessions can be conducted to a group through which peers (work colleagues) have a conversation over their traumatic experiences or morally distressing situations. The debriefing process is often undertaken by skilled personnel that include psychiatric nursing specialists, clinical psychologists and professional counselors.
The end result of debriefing is that there maybe improved productivity at the places of work. It may be determined through debriefing that some individuals may need individualized counseling or therapy. Leaders on various fronts should acknowledge the need to have debriefing for their employees in order that they have in their midst a productive set of employees. Regular debriefing sessions should make part of a comprehensive mental health workplace program.
My Star 2019 winner, Oura has just released her new single, dubbed ‘Leruarua’ which she says was inspired by the state of things in the community today in the country and globally due to the plight of Corona virus.
In an interview, she explained that the name of her song, ‘leruarua’ is derived from a notion that even bigger problems do pass. She only joined the music industry last year, when she released her first song, titled ‘good feels’. Nonetheless, she grew up a singer as she would sing from church and always ensured that she had music at the tips of her finger while doing house chores when she was growing up. Oura notes that winning My Star has given her the confidence to come out as a musician and share her talent with the world. “I joined the music industry purely for the passion that I have for music. I really love listening to music and creating music,” she said, noting that music brings healing to the soul. The Afro soul, pop and house musician however shares with Vibe that it is not easy, joining the music industry in Botswana, especially when one is not well- connected. “I have observed that when one is new, their work is not that relevant, especially when one is a female artist and no one speaks for them. It is very challenging and I just wish that upcoming artists could be recognized and maybe get a chance to collaborate with bigger artists to spice up our talent, because talent is there,” she said. She also added that it’s hard to make a mark in the industry, because of limited support from the government. “We need help from the government to grow this industry as it has the potential to diversify our economy,” she said.
Oura reiterated that Leruarua was mainly written to calm people during the pandemic, as Botswana continues to register so many deaths due to Covid19. “We have now developed fear in our hearts, and each time we hear that a loved one, a neighbour or a well-known figure has lost their lives due to Covid, we just can’t find peace. Therefore, I saw it fit to present this music item to encourage people to soldier on,” she said. A video for the song will be released at a later date.