French hospital creates nap space to prevent our heroes from burning out

The circumstances in which healthcare workers across the globe have found themselves during the Covid-19 pandemic have been nothing less than horrifying. Our caregivers deserve recognition for their heroic efforts, but recognition is not enough. We need to protect them from burning out.

At the intensive care unit at Saint-Joseph hospital in Paris, the threat of burn-out is imminent. As the beds of the hospital are flooded with Covid-19 patients, doctors and nurses must run faster than ever.

Speaking to journalists from Paris Match, one doctor explains how she eventually broke down from the pressure, having to be hospitalized for a month and a half, in the meantime leaving her colleagues even more understaffed.

It is such serious incidents that have made Saint-Joseph hospital introduce a “bubble” in which staff can rest, talk to a psychiatrist, or get a massage. As seen in a picture from Paris Match, the bubble at Saint Joseph seems to make use of all available equipment, from recliners and massage cushions to Metronaps EnergyPods.

Since its recent introduction at Saint Joseph, the bubble concept has rapidly spread to other French hospitals, with some caregivers confiding to their superiors that the bubbles are the only thing that keeps them from quitting work.

As the death toll following Covid-19 continues to rise, the physical and mental health of caregivers is ever more at stake. Whether or not our nap pods will be part of the solution, we sincerely hope that hospitals around the globe will be able to follow suit with the intensive care unit at Saint-Joseph and introduce spaces for rest to reduce the risk of burn-out.

Sources

Paris Match 22-03-21: When the hospital repairs caregivers (French article)

MedScape: Covid takes a toll on Neurologists Health and Wellbeing