COVID restrictions are lifting, but can B.C.'s health-care workers recover?

For the past two years, health-care professionals in the hospital intensive care units across B.C. have been stretched to the limit during wave after wave of COVID-19, which has left many experiencing mental health challenges and burnout.

"The last two years have really taken a toll on me and the rest of my health-care staff," said Stephanie Stanton, a respiratory therapist at Royal Columbian Hospital.

"I think there has been little to no recognition for services on our mental health to help us get through this time period and I think the public is kind of feeling that this pandemic is over, but for us, it's still a reality."

Stanton saidthe pandemic has taken an emotional toll on her and she's been experiencing compassion fatigue.

"I'm not sure how many more waves we're going to go through but it's been really tough," Stanton said. "It's difficult when you're seeing so much trauma in a short amount of time, to continue to feel compassionate toward your patients.

A poll conducted by the B.C. Hospital Employees Union (BCHEU) found a third of health-care workers in the province want to quittheir job in the next two years.

Stanton said she's not surprised to see others wanting to leave their careers, as she too has beenconsidering doing the same.

"I came into this role thinking that this was going to be a long-term position for me and I've already started to look at other options," she said.

"And many of the staff I work with have confided in me and told me that they're alsolooking elsewhere for other positions."

Effects of the pandemic

David Riar, an intensive care unit nurse at Royal Columbian Hospital, says while there has been a decrease in patients with COVID-19, the physical and mental burnout and challenges of working through a pandemic still lingeramong colleagues and hospital staff.

"We're reduced to pretty much one or two people now that have COVID, so that's good," said Riar.

"There's experiences of clumping patients into rooms together ...not getting enough breaks and trying to make sure you're nourished and mentally going on and on some of those images are embedded in my head," he said.

Watch | Inside the COVID ward at Royal Columbian Hospital:

A look inside Royal Columbian Hospital's COVID ward

3 years ago

Duration 5:22

COVID-19 case numbers are going down in B.C. but intensive care units in some hospitals are still overflowing with patients. Our Belle Puri shares a rare look inside Royal Columbian Hospital.

'Burden was too tough'

Steven Reynolds, a physician at Royal Columbian Hospital, says one of the challenges he experienced was staying mentally healthy while working long hours at the hospital.

"I stepped away from one of my leadership roles because theburden was too tough," said Reynolds. "Often health-care workers are not explicit when they need help."

He said the toughest moment for himwas when crowds of people opposed to COVID-19 vaccinations clogged the streets of Vancouver and demonstrated outside hospitals across the province.

"To get a sense that somehow we're holding the negative information or doing negative things to our patients, really got to the core of our values," said Reynolds.

"So that was a tough moment."

Reynolds said after two years of the pandemic, he's learned how to deal with the stress of being on the front-lines in the fight against COVID-19.

"I found the only way I could really deal with it at this point in my professional career is to just step back. I'm just doing the job ... and I'm always going to be doing my work, so I don't really want to get too focused on other stuff."