For her, the hardest part is suddenly homeschooling her stir-crazy children while balancing her work responsibilities. Her advice to other emergency physicians trying to balance it all? “Pace yourself, just like we do with busy shifts in the ED. It’s going to be a marathon and not a sprint,” she said. “If we are anxious, our kids are going to be anxious. Like the motto in our ED, we have to ‘Keep Calm and Trauma On.’ Which, in this case, the trauma is managing family life in the time of COVID.”

Dr. Shenvi said she is staying focused on the facts and what is within her circle of control. “There’s lots of things that I’m concerned about—the economy or unemployment or people who have serious illnesses—that I can’t affect at all. The only things I can control are what I do with my family, my house, my time, my energy. And so, I’m going to focus on making that as supportive to my family as possible.”

Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD, FACEP, and family

Working with Unfamiliar Worries

Many emergency physicians are used to accepting some risk when they go to work, but it’s a very different feeling to worry about bringing the virus home to their families.

“We’re used to doing dangerous things ourselves. Oftentimes, the enemy is over and done with the by the time we’re even seeing the patient. The hurricane’s done, the earthquake, the fire, the shooting,” Dr. Wilson said. “When the patient comes with the enemy still [present], you know, that’s a hard war to fight.”

Dr. Gotlib acknowledged the new burdens he’s feeling: “Knowing that, while I’m telling my kids I’ll always be there for them, I still more than doubled my life insurance and disability a month ago. Knowing that I’m intubating COVID patients daily with PPE that I purchased myself and then coming home to them hoping no one gets sick or they don’t carry it to someone else.” Still, he said he’s thankful to have a job when many in the country don’t, and spending this extra time with his family reminds him how fortunate he is to have a great support system.

Dr. Haber Hazan said she and her husband, who is also an emergency physician, are definitely experiencing fear and uncertainty, but their kids have inspired them with their resiliency and willingness to accept change. “We are grateful for time together at home where we can slow down and reflect on what is most important to us,” she said. “While we worry about protecting them from COVID-19—both emotionally and physically—our children have served as a reminder to find joy in this moment.”