SPOKANE, Wash. – Finding ways to bring fun to the demanding medical profession is the goal of a local “scrub swap” event.
Julie Blaakman, the owner of The CareShop and a medical field veteran of over 25 years, is excited to host this event for healthcare providers.
“We want to tap into healthcare providers, what they need today, what serves them best and have fun with it,” Blaakman said.
Blaakman recognized the toll the nursing profession can take on its workers and wanted to give back to those who spend their time helping others.
Burnout among nurses has been a growing concern. Signs of burnout include mental and physical exhaustion, mental distance from the job, cynicism about the job, and reduced efficacy in the workplace.
A 2021 study by the National Center for Biotechnology and Information found that about two-thirds of nurses reported high levels of job burnout.
Registered Nurse Sandra Tidwell, who has been in the field for 45 years, has witnessed this first-hand.
“People tend to become distant because you almost have to to protect your heart from a lot of what’s going on,” Tidwell explained.
Tidwell believes that events like the scrub swap play a crucial role in supporting nurses and healthcare workers.
“And things like scrub swap, when there’s different events that they can do that help them out in one way or another, is great,” Tidwell said.
According to the American Nurses Association, there are several ways to prevent burnout: rest, ask for help or support, exercise and healthy eating, and ensure to take breaks.
The scrub swap was inspired by Blaakman’s desire to support the healthcare community and acknowledge their hard work.
“What resonates to me as a healthcare provider is just the resilience of healthcare workers,” Blaakman emphasized.
The scrub swap will take place throughout the rest of this week and encourages people to bring in their old scrubs in exchange for another pair.
