The Hidden Costs of Healthcare Hero Narratives

During the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers were rightfully hailed as heroes for their tireless efforts saving lives under difficult conditions. However, some experts argue that perpetuating narratives that frame healthcare workers as sacrificial heroes can carry hidden costs for their wellbeing.

While recognising their hard work is important, constantly amplifying hero narratives can dehumanise healthcare workers by placing them on a pedestal of moral perfection. This glosses over the grief, fatigue, and mental health challenges many healthcare workers face in high-stress environments. When they express vulnerability or seek support, it’s seen as letting society down rather than exercising reasonable self-care.

Hero narratives also promote the idea that healthcare workers should be ready to sacrifice their own needs indefinitely for the greater good of patients. This mindset enables unsafe staffing ratios, excessive overtime, and lax protections from infection or violence in healthcare settings. It also contributes to moral injury when healthcare workers feel unable to provide the level of care they feel patients deserve due to emotional exhaustion or system constraints.

In addition, societal hero narratives can distract from resolving systemic issues that cause burnout, such as understaffing, lack of resources, and poor leadership support. They place the onus entirely on healthcare workers to be resilient while the broken systems that engendered crises remain unaddressed. What do you think so far? Does this resonate with your perspective?

Some argue hero narratives maintain a martyr-like culture in healthcare rather than leading to constructive change. The mentality persists that healthcare workers should work themselves past the point of personal health in order to demonstrate sacrifice and dedication to their calling. However, this leads to high attrition as talented healthcare workers leave for self-preservation.

Many advocate for balancing praise of healthcare workers’ service with open discussion on how to humanise and support them. This involves honouring their needs, limiting unsafe overwork, providing mental health resources, and addressing problematic cultural norms. Recognising their human limits and preventing burnout ultimately allows healthcare workers to provide quality care more sustainably.

Healthcare workers undoubtedly carry out noble work. But they are human first. While rightfully acknowledging their service, we must be cautious about narratives that impose unrealistic expectations or normalise personal sacrifice. A balanced approach that “treats healthcare workers as humans, not heroes” is needed.

What are your thoughts on this issue? I invite readers to share their perspectives in the comments below.