Aug 27
The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges and magnified existing ones for all Americans, but this has been especially true for the women and men who serve as health care workers. Nowhere is this more evident than the issue of childcare, where immediate help is needed if we are to prevent a new crisis from developing.
Like many health care workers, I dreamed of this job from a young age. When I entered nursing, I knew there would be challenging days ahead. Few professions face life-and-death moments as frequently as ours, and there have been too many stressful moments to count. But the reward of caring for people in need far outweighs any of those concerns. Like virtually everyone I’ve ever worked with, I look forward to each day with a renewed sense of purpose.
But now, in the face of this historic pandemic that has upended so many lives, health care workers like me are finding the most pressing challenges are not unique to our profession. At the top of the list – who is going to look after our children while we are at work caring for others?