SO MANY CHANGES…
First and foremost, I must start by telling you how VERY grateful I am to work in this field and to still have a job in such a trying and confusing time. I love my job and absolutely enjoy going to work every day, if not because of the animals then because of the wonderful team that we’ve built here.
In the blink of an eye so much around us has changed…we’re now a curbside service, we are on the phone constantly because it’s our only form of communication, we’re dealing with more scared/angry clients than typical, and we walk on average 5-7 miles a day to retrieve patients and take them back to their owners. These are just a few of the changes that COVID has made in our hospital.
We’ve pushed ourselves more than ever before. Our appointments are full and yet we continue to squeeze patients in because they need to be seen. When we have absolutely no more space and time and we have to refer someone to an emergency facility, that is often met with confusion and anger. We know this reaction is typical because of the cost of an emergency facility and we completely understand that, because a good portion of Americans is currently under financial strain.
We always try to have compassion and empathy for others, because NO ONE knows what struggle any individual is facing. Pre-COVID 99% of the time we were met with kindness and understanding, post-COVID not so much. Regardless, we do know that our clients are genuinely the best owners and amazing humans, but to say it’s not awing to see how COVID has changed people’s behavior and understanding of situations would be a lie. Every day we find ourselves struggling to stay positive that it will get better and a bit of normalcy is hopefully just around the corner.
We’ve created a happy bubble of understanding and support inside the hospital walls for our staff, and that is something I’m beyond thankful for! I didn’t think it was possible for our team to be closer and more family-like than it was, but I was wrong. The best thing to come out of this pandemic is that our team/family is truly that and stronger than ever.
We will all get through this to the best of our abilities. I find myself often hoping and praying that we all understand that takes on different meanings for everyone. Kindness and understanding are what the world is currently in need of.
Karrie
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”-Aesop
