Suffering, social work and the old masters

Abstract

Working as an Australian hospital Social Worker during a major viral pandemic was always going to be an unpredictable and rapidly evolving experience. We knew the COVID-19 virus was coming, within weeks it had arrived, and Australian society transformed overnight. With so much rapid loss and change our sense of mastery over our lives was quickly lost. Health services and individuals alike battled to prepare, to understand, and to make meaning in a new world. It was an opportunity to seek meaning in literatures both professional and artistic.