Now, more than ever, it’s time to appreciate health care workers

Trying to stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 outbreak may help us realize what health care workers go through every day.

These health care workers, a unique group of people, leave their homes and families daily, trained to expect the unexpected.

We need to realize when everyday health care workers are on the job, they face exposure to a variety of situations and diseases that may cause them harm. But, they show up for work to make certain we receive the help we need.

Then, they leave the hospital, the clinic or the ambulance, heading home to their families. When they walk into their home, they try not to bring the physical germs or the mental bugs inside.

We all may have friends and family who are doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, physical therapists, paramedic/emergency medical technicians, certified nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, lab technicians and dietary workers.

We should all stop and think of what they deal with daily at work.

Think about the last time you needed their help and multiply that by hundreds. Undeterred, they still show up.

Many of these friends and neighbors have spent most of their lives striving to qualify for educational programs to train for their careers. Once they’ve been accepted into school, they go into debt. Schooling doesn’t end when they earn their degree and pass state boards. They continue their education to stay on top of the new procedures and skills. No matter the situation or the conditions, they still show up.

In desperate times like these, many of our employers either allow us to work from home or lock our office doors and limit exposure by asking clients and customers to use drive-through windows or communicate electronically.

But, health care workers continue to see you in person, look you in the eye and touch you.

As you go about your life under some degree of safety, remember family and friends who are health care workers at ground zero.

They may not feel appreciated, but we want to say we are grateful for their dedication to their field of choice.

Give them a break, a smile, and when we are past this outbreak, a hug may be in order, because they always show up.