Critical Reflection Essay
Life has certainly changed in the world during this past year. People have struggled and suffered during covid whether that be mentally, emotionally, physically, financially, or socially. However, as we reflect back on the experience, we can say that people have persevered and made it through one of the most trying times that we have ever had. Hopefully, we will never have to face it again in our lifetime. The experience has taught us a lot about ourselves and others, and the strength that we have within us. Although it was difficult and terrifying, many of us pushed forward and strived to do our best despite the obstacles and challenges that the pandemic has put in the way.
Throughout the pandemic, many people in many different professions experienced challenges that they were forced to overcome. The interviews that I conducted showed me that although the pandemic was difficult for everyone, and caused many problems, people were able to, or more accurately, forced to, persevere and adapt. In addition, there were new skills and lessons that each person learned because of the pandemic. This shows that people can always learn from intense and terrifying situations if they can overcome fear. The main lesson that these interviews showed was that fear is the biggest threat to our safety. The people interviewed were able to continue working and helping others because they did not let the fear consume them. They took the fear and used it to understand and help others who were afraid and suffering.
In the interview with the emergency room nurse, she explained that she did not really have a chance to be afraid because she had people to tend to and if she let fear overcome her, then those people would not get the care they needed. Therefore, she had to continue to work and not think about the risk to her own health. She had to work diligently and adjust to the changes quickly. She had no time to focus on fear because she needed to be there physically and mentally for the people suffering. Since she was an emergency room nurse for several years, Bethany had the experience she needed to deal with this pandemic. Her experience was a clear advantage over newer nurses. Since “the transition and experiences of these new graduates in their first years have been proven to have a significant impact on their professional career and affect the probability of leaving their profession twofold between the first and fifth year of clinical practice” (García-Martín), many nurses quit. Furthermore, Bethany pointed out that many nurses suffer from PTSD because of the pandemic. However, the nurses that remain in the field and continue to work despite their trauma arise stronger, with more experience and training, which will help in future situations.
One of the unanticipated consequences of Covid was that people suffered from other health related problems yet they did not seek help for those conditions. People were so consumed by the fear that Covid brought that they let it negatively affect their health. People who needed to go to the hospital refused because they did not want to get covid. Bethany said that she was only treating covid patients during the quarantine because people were too afraid to come to the hospitals.
Not all of the experiences from covid were necessarily bad. They just required a willingness to adjust to a changing world. An example of this is when the interviewees were asked about the changes in the regulations at their workplaces. Although many did not necessarily like the new regulations or the new ways of doing things, such as using zoom rather than in person meetings, they all understood that they were necessary at the time. Most of the customers at TreeTop were understanding of the regulations and did not cause a problem. In addition, the owners of the butcher shop were open to the new precautions in order to keep themselves and customers safe as well as to keep their shop open.
In the second interview with the defense attorney, Mrs. Moses, admitted that it was a rough transition from going to work every day in person to fully remote. She had to do all of her meetings with clients over the phone or via zoom, which she believed took away the interpersonal connection that is a necessary part of the job. Despite this, she was still able to have good conversations with her clients through which she was inspired by their endurance and resilience. They told stories about their family members and how they were taking care of each other and looking for work. Although it was difficult to deal with, Mrs. Moses was determined not to let the stresses of the current situation stop her from doing her work for the sake of her clients. She even was able to arrange some meetings outside in order to exchange information and documents.
The interview with Lauren who worked as a cashier showed the perseverance of small shop owners who strived to stay open throughout the pandemic. This was a difficult task since “The pandemic resulted in the permanent closure of roughly 200,000 U.S. establishments above historical levels during the first year of the viral outbreak, according to a study released Thursday by economists at the Fed” (Simon). However, they managed to keep the business alive and adjust to the challenges that were presented to them. The owners of the shop were quick to take the necessary precautions, including changing how they wrapped some of the meat. The experience taught Lauren and her coworkers how to enforce rules in a respectful manner to keep the customers from getting upset.
Garrison also learned how to enforce the new regulations in a respectful manner even though very few people opposed the new rules. He and his coworkers worked hard to make people feel comfortable as well as give them a sense of normalcy in these confusing times. Although it was difficult to remain socially distant since rescue guides were required to help people through the course when assistance was needed, each rescue guide and customer was required to wear their mask and hand sanitizers were placed around TreeTop for workers and customers to use before and after going on the course in order to keep everyone safe.
Each of the interviews showed a glimpse of what different people went through to continue to thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic. All of the stories show that the key to success in difficult times is to not let fear win or stop people from doing their job. Every interviewee ran the risk of contracting the disease through their work and each of them had to make adjustments. However, they did not allow that fear to take over and control their lives, and they accepted the changes that needed to be made, which included the new safety precautions and the new forms of communication. These stories are told to inspire people to persevere through hardships and give hope to those in similar situations.
Works Cited
García-Martín, Manuel et al. “Novice Nurse’s Transitioning to Emergency Nurse during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.” Journal of Nursing Management, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32881134/.
Simon, Ruth. “Covid-19’s Toll on U.S. Business? 200,000 Extra Closures in Pandemic’s First Year.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 16 Apr. 2021, www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19s-toll-on-u-s-business-200-000-extra-closures-in-pandemics-first-year-11618580619
