On June 16, I presented remotely at the departmental Medicine Grand Rounds at St. Peter’s Healthcare System in New Brunswick, NJ. My presentation, entitled “The Long-term Effects of Trauma on Survivors and Its Intergenerational Transmission in the Family”, was intended for their internists, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, nurses, fellows, residents, and medical students.
It was a special honor to have been invited to speak to these professionals. During the Coronavirus pandemic, the medical staff, and all those who courageously continue to make our hospitals able to function, are our heroes. They show us, day in and day out, the ultimate goodness and dedication of which people are capable. They do this while taking significant risks to their own lives, and we owe a great debt of gratitude to them and to their families, who bear the burden of this grave responsibility with them.
Many of the healthcare providers will have been exposed during these days to traumatic experiences, at a massive level that has not been seen in their lifetime. Some of the health workers are younger and have not even had the chance to get accustomed to the tragic side of their profession, in those instances when a physician or nurse is unable to prevent death. While these individuals are carrying on their heroic tasks, they might also carry with them for a long time the impact of the trauma and the loss to which they have been exposed.
It is my hope that the topic of my presentation will assist the listeners in processing their own experiences, as well as in recognizing the effects of the pandemic on patients, their relatives, and co-workers.
The Zoom recording of my presentation can be accessed by clicking on the image above. Please note that you will be asked to provide your name and email address in order to access the Zoom recording.
Irit Felsen
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