Mental Health Check: Frontline Workers During Pandemic
May is Mental Health Awareness month and this year, medical workers faced a significant amount of stress while caring for COVID-19 patients. According to The Guardian, more than 3,600 health workers died just within the first year of the pandemic.
Patient Care Technician, Theresa Cierniak, has been exposed to COVID-19 patients since the start of the pandemic. Cierniak has been a PCT for 20 years at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, New York.
Cierniak serves an important role in patient care. While also supporting nurses she serves patient’s meals, changes their bedding, monitors their vitals, and assists in their bathroom needs. Several times a week Cierniak would be carrying out these needs for COVID-19 patients.
“I love what I do, but having COVID patients has been challenging at times for all of us. Especially with the constant changes and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortage when the pandemic first started. It was really scary to have to wear the same N95 masks, not knowing if we were getting any more in. I felt like it was putting our health at risk,” Cierniak said.
Working in these unprecedented times has greatly affected Cierniak and her mental state, seeing patients pass quickly or being separated from their loved ones was hard to bear. She found small breaks throughout the day helped, “To cope I would talk about my day to my family, take a walk or just step outside to get fresh air,” Cierniak said.
She also found comfort in talking to coworkers, as they also were experiencing the same mental stress. “I cope with stressed by talking to my co-workers and had asked management for a radio for the unit.”
Cierniak also saw firsthand how COVID kept families apart. “It’s been a lot with patients getting sick so quickly and dying. They can’t even see their loved ones, only by zoom. It’s really rewarding to see patients go home after a long stay,” Cierniak said.
However one of the hardest mental struggles was the impact on her own family. “I always was worried about going home to my family and giving it to them. For the longest time, I couldn’t even see my granddaughter, only through glass. It really upset me. It was the hardest thing to do, but I didn’t want any of them to get sick. I did it for them. I really wanted this to end,” Cierniak said.
As vaccines rollout and mask mandates begin to be lifted, Cierniak feels hopeful that the dark days are behind her. Now that we are more prepared and knowledgable of the COVID-19 disease, panic and shortages are less likely to happen.
“The numbers at the hospital have been going down. Which is wonderful. If this spikes again I’m prepared for what I have to do,” Cierniak said.
