Dignity: Pushed to the Limit
I struggle today to write this post. I am running on empty. As a leader that is difficult to admit because you are expected to always stand strong. You must be the rock because how you present will dictate how your team will respond. I think to myself if I am running on empty imagine what our frontline staff are experiencing. Many of our peers are working with short staff. Many of our peers are putting in 50 to 70 hours a week. Time and time again we are asking people to do more and put themselves on the line every day. This pandemic affects us all and puts us all at risk but every day I see the people in our healthcare system come to work and care for our community. They are tired, overworked, and stressed.
As leaders we are feeling these things, but it is up to us to be present and support those that are doing the hard work. I believe we can be honest with our teams and tell them how we are feeling but it is even more important that we are there alongside them letting them know we are here for you and with you. As leaders we honor the dignity of our teams by recognizing their struggles. We honor dignity by listening to their voices. We honor their dignity by understanding and including them in the decisions that are being made that will affect how they work. We honor their dignity by making sure they take care of themselves, and we honor their dignity and ours by taking care of ourselves.
What we are experiencing has not been easy and will continue to challenge us. We are fighting a virus that seems to change each time we feel we are safe. We are challenged with a healthcare system where people are leaving in large numbers and people who have given all they have and more. Every aspect of our lives has been touched by this pandemic. I do not have the answers or the magic words that will make everything better but what I do know is that I am here with you. I will stand tall with you, and we will fight this giant together.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Oct 07, 1931 – Dec 26, 2021
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 