When health care sickens the health care worker: Commentary on Park et al. (2023)

Abstract

In their survey, Park and colleagues (2023) reported that many health care and hospital workers perceived that their safety was not a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 33.9% of responders feeling betrayed by institutional leaders. Employees of the health care system reported being viewed more as servants than specialists during the pandemic, and they noted that critical assessment and the expression of one's own opinion were unwelcome (Lederer, 2023). A lack of epidemiologic knowledge was compensated with the inflexible strategy of a hierarchical system. Opting out of testing and vaccination justified exposure, discrimination, and humiliation. Paternalism, a lack of esteem, and complete exhaustion further contributed to the physical and mental health toll of the pandemic on health care and hospital workers.