FRONT-LINE HEROES
Special section salutes service, health workers
Alberta’s health-care workers haven’t had an easy road in the past few months.
A report commissioned by Alberta Health Services last fall raised the possibility of job cuts. Now the unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic is testing their resolve.
The dangers they face by coming to work each day are immediate and very real.
Worldwide, tens of thousands of health-care workers have been infected with the COVID-19 virus. As of late April, federal government statistics showed that more than 2,200, or about 12 per cent, of cases in Canada had resulted from exposure in a health-care setting.
This stark reality is something nurses on the front lines must cope with daily, says United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith.
“There’s always an element of fear in terms of what they might face in the workplace, and for the safety of their families because of what they might potentially bring home,” Smith says.
“This situation is unprecedented in the career of any nurse working today,” she adds. “We haven’t had a global pandemic of this level since the Spanish flu of 100 years ago.”
That pandemic, which lasted two full years from 1918 to 1920, was a then–new strain of H1N1 influenza that killed at least 50 million people worldwide, including 55,000 in Canada.
Then, as now, nurses put themselves at risk to care for patients.
“I believe they bring to this crisis what they bring to work every day: dedication to their patients, a love of their profession and an overall regard for the health and well-being of all Albertans,” nursing care and general health-care support workers across the province.
“These are the forgotten heroes,” says union president Guy Smith. “Without them doing their jobs, the doctors and nurses wouldn’t be able to do theirs.”
The AUPE is advocating for access to high-quality personal protective equipment and increased pay for front-line workers, who are under stress and being called upon to work harder than ever, he says.
“(There is) extra strain on workers on the front lines of this struggle, with the stress of potential exposure and taking it back to your family.
“It’s at times like this that you recognize just how important they are. They go into these situations with a dedication that all Albertans can be proud of.”
Pharmacists are another key component of delivering health care to the public, and they’ve been busy during this pandemic.
“There have been a lot more questions from people — more than ever,” says Brad Couldwell, a pharmacist at the Glenbrook Family Pharmasave store in southwest Calgary.
“I spend a lot of time on the phone and in the pharmacy educating people on good hygiene, how important it is to keep your hands washed and to stay home if you feel sick,” he says.
Like nurses and other front-line health-care professionals, pharmacists come into contact daily with people who may be sick. They’ve responded by using personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and face shields. Like many retail outlets, pharmacies have set up large clear acrylic barriers on counters to reduce the risk of transmission.
But the risk is still there, and it’s hard to ignore.
“There’s definitely a heightened awareness,” Couldwell says. “We’re acutely aware of who’s coming in. We’re holding strong to those things that we know work.”
Overall, most people are careful, but unfortunately some people don’t take the risks as seriously as these professionals do.
“The majority of Albertans understand and are respecting what’s been asked of them in terms of distancing, and are respectful,” Heather Smith says.
“There have been concerns about people not respecting distancing, and not being honest about their own symptoms,” she adds. “Some members of the public have been less than courteous, or what could be described as abusive, regarding restrictions about entering health facilities.”
This endangers not only health-care workers but their families as well, says Couldwell, who has young children at home — including a 10-year-old daughter who recently completed treatment for leukemia.
“I have a young family and when I come home, the first thing I do is change clothes and have a shower, make sure my hands are washed. Because my daughter went through leukemia, we already know how to stay hygienic,” he says.
Throughout this crisis, health-care workers have supported each other, and have been supported by the other front-line workers who have stepped up to provide essential services.
“We want to say thank you to all health-care providers,” Smith says. “Not only nurses, but all health-care providers and all the workers who ensure that we have the ability to keep working and take care of the well-being of Albertans.”