Furlough and lockdown: two words that are now synonymous with the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of this crisis, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation on 23 March 2020, ‘from this evening, I must give the British people a very simple instruction: you must stay at home’ (Conservatives.com, 2020).
Months later, and the crisis has changed. An easing of the lockdown restrictions has been introduced; however, the message is neither simple nor clear. As medical aesthetic practitioners, we face a return to our clinics, albeit with a restricted portfolio and practice, and some colleagues tell me they have perceived returner fear. There is no doubt in my mind that the lockdown was far easier to implement than the unlocking process is proving to be; adaptation will be key for us all in successful management of returning to aesthetic practice.
We have all undergone so much change, and all within the space of just 3 short months, which seemed to last forever. We have all experienced and witnessed tragedy and loss. Now, there is uncertainty, anxiety and fear within a world that appears irrevocably different.
In her article, ‘The 3 stages of adapting to a crisis’, writer Jessica Stillman reflects on the psychological phases of crises. During the emergency (Phase 1), we seek security; this applies whether the crisis is an earthquake, a sabre tooth tiger or the COVID-19 virus. Most of us closed our businesses in March 2020, we sought the safety of our homes as the whole world appeared to go quiet and still.
A significant number of us have now moved on to Phase 2, when we open up to new challenges. The immediate crisis is over, and we are now peeking out of our caves amidst the easing of the lockdown restrictions. Now, we begin transitioning, and some of us have now already entered Phase 3 and are embracing the new normal. Whether you are in Phase 2 or 3, do take some time out for you. We will all need to try and somehow process this trauma, be mindful that your experiences and those of your loved ones will be exclusive and unique to you.
The pandemic has been catastrophic, we have experienced the tragic loss of loved ones and the UK's recorded death rate from COVID-19 is one of the worse in the world, nearing 40–50,000—this loss of life is truly heart-rending.
Many of us have experienced other losses too—the temporary loss of our liberty and livelihoods, and a number of us may never recover financially.
Risk assessments are something you must undertake on return to practice during COVID-19. If you are considering seeing patients, try not to be led by the FOMO (fear of missing out) when seeing others have returned to full practice, as this will only lead to hell in a handcart if you bolt too quickly and open up without due diligence on pre-preparedness. The financial driver to return to private practice cannot overrule the safety standards expected of those of us on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register. The code states that, as nurses, we preserve safety:‘You make sure that patient and public safety is not affected’ (NMC, 2020).
The psychological impact of this pandemic will reverberate for decades to come. Setting goals, re-orienting and revising our lives, notwithstanding our aesthetic practices right now—especially when mourning and grieving—just all seems nigh on impossible. Whatever your individual situation, be mindful that whatever you are feeling right now, it is probably a very normal reaction to a very abnormal situation.