I’m a Nurse & I’m no hero

The discussion regarding frontline health workers is contextualised w/ words like “health heroes” and “saluting the frontlines”. Don’t get me wrong – I think it is fantastic that public health & hospital workers are highlighted in the media 1/

But this language makes me feel distinctly uncomfortable. Is it imposter syndrome or something else? 2/

Whilst at first the thought of being someone’s hero feels like a compliment, it’s not. Here’s my thoughts on why. Using words that conjure this idea of magic or mysticism undermine skill & training, they undermine the hours of training and work that I have devoted to my craft. 3/

In classic mythology, where the word “hero” emerged from, hero describes an individual who has divine honours or divine ancestry. It later emerges to be used when describing political & military figures – for example, Oliver Cromwell or others who changed the course of history.4/

The definition of hero in modern language is this:

"a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. e.g. a war hero" 5/

While I agree that it takes courage to face a pandemic, it takes courage to face a hospital every day in the ordinary. It's not nobility that makes me face the ICU or the difficult conversation.

That's not an outstanding achievement. That's humanity. 6/

There are, of course, the more complex issues surrounding the hero rhetoric - turning up at workplace that has inadequate supplies or insufficient preparation (framed as heroism), or the idea that health care workers aren't human and "soldier on" at any cost. 7/

And what about skill? If you said that a trained/disciplined athlete is “talented” – this doesn’t acknowledge the individual contribution & commitment, suggests that anyone could have a crack at it (I mean, I guess you could, but you won’t be no Roger Federer overnight!) 8/

I'm skilled at critical thinking, managing teams, diagnosing clinical conditions, guiding clinical care, completing complex procedures, creating new knowledge and communicating empathy. I'm a nurse, not a hero. 9/9

#StayHome