These are strange and unprecedented times. The world around us – truly, the entire world – is shuttering its windows and closing its doors in a global effort to try and stop the spread of this pandemic and to minimize the effects.
COVID-19 and its effect on our healthcare system have been devastating, and when things have finally calmed down, we know the entirety of the healthcare system will need to take a good, long breath to collect ourselves and analyze what we’ve learned, and how we can prepare for future medical events like this.
While office staff and others can work from home, it’s not an option for registered nurses. We don’t have the option to take a swab over FaceTime. We’re right in the thick of things, as we’ve always been and will continue to be because caring for our public is what we’ve been called to do. We’ve seen healthcare providers like yourselves stand on the front line of an unknown disease and selflessly care for the sick and the scared.
Of course, we have concerns – many of us have families, loved ones we worry about. We have childcare to find and mortgages to pay. It’s a lot to think about and it can quickly become overwhelming – please take the time to be happy, to breathe, and to take care of yourself.
This is a dynamic situation – the information is constantly changing. Information will be key to calming nerves and making decisions in our personal and professional lives.
SUN Provincial reminds members to seek information from reliable sources such as the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Saskatchewan Government, Public Health Agency of Canada, Government of Canada, and the World Health Organization. They might not be a fun, shareable meme on Facebook but they are professionals and they know their stuff.
During the Member Information Sessions on March 18 & 19, Tracy Zambory, SUN President and Donna Trainor, SUN Executive Director connected with more than 325 members to share with them up-to-the-minute updates, answers member questions regarding the situation in the workplace and impact on members, and to remind them to take time to take care of themselves.
We encourage you to stay connected with SUN Provincial – through our website, social media and emails. We’re making sure the information we share with you is fact-checked and reliable, with information being updated frequently as the situation evolves.
