Full disclosure, I'm a male, Canadian, and not someone that works in healthcare. The only relation that I have to understanding how healthcare workers feel about their jobs is that my best friend, who is female, is a doctor. I am also posting this on my main account, so come at me haters.
It is so F'ed in America that I think this needs to be said, callously, by someone that does not live in your country.
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Healthcare workers in America. STOP. GOING. TO. WORK.
JUST.DON'T.GO.TO.WORK.
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I get that there is purpose in saving the lives and caring for people when they are their weakest, sickest, and most vulnerable, regardless of the personal cost. I get that there are oaths, professional ethics, standards, personal beliefs of good/bad etc. We saw all healthcare workers in all countries uphold these values for the past 2 1/2+ years.
But if you stop working – if even 10 or 20% of you stop going to work – during that pandemic that the country/rest of the world likes to pretend is over, but you experience everyday – it is probably going to take a toll on the healthcare system.
People will suffer and die, but did you know, coincidentally, those people who will have bad Covid-19 outcomes are also the same people who are more likely to support banning abortion in America (https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/public-opinion-on-abortion/)?
Namely the,
2) Religious https://www.prri.org/research/estimating-covid-19-exposure-for-religious-subgroups-in-the-united-states/
3) Republican https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8242603/
(I also happen to 100% get that not everyone in hospitals are there for covid***)
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I understand that a vast majority of Americans support abortion, and that it is not necessarily the fault of individuals, but more so a structural representative issue based on a myriad of problems that has resulted in well, today. I have been thinking about this all morning, and as a dude and a Canadian, I can't even imagine feelings/thoughts…
But if nurses who are predominantly female stop going to work, if they strike, in the middle of a pandemic that everyone pretends is still not happening, and explicitly say that they won't come back to work until something happens that legalizes Abortion at the Federal level, what do you think is going to happen.
I feel everyone is talking about a general strike. Yes do that too.
But nurses (and healthcare workers) in particular, think about not going to work. I bet you've all banked some solid overtime/banked time. Make up a fake emergency. Pretend to have covid. You are probably more educated than me on how to fake the symptoms of an illness that will get you out of work, so get creative. Or just be straight up and say you need a mental health day because of the shit that happened.
in the meantime, Nursing Unions, plan for strikes – most of you are female. The entire system apparently just said “fuck you” to 85% of you.
That's all. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. I will not be responding to any comments on this.