ABSTRACT
The current qualitative study focuses on the spouses and romantic partners of frontline doctors and nurses working in hospitals during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in New York City—one of the earliest epicenters of COVID in the United States. The study aimed to learn how the partner was impacted by the frontliner’s duties in a shared traumatic reality and his/her use of self-care and coping strategies in times of acute stress. Interviews were conducted with 29 partners of frontline doctors and nurses who had been treating COVID-19 patients in New York City hospitals during its outbreak from February 29–June 1, 2020. Four themes were found in the partners’ narratives: providing emotional support for the overwhelmed and fearful frontliner; the increase in responsibilities in support of the frontliner; differences in the use of self-care strategies; and, lastly, the trickle-down effect of a system-wide strain on the partners. The experience of the shared trauma of the pandemic is explored, with an application to the field of social work.
Keywords: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Pandemic, Frontline Worker, Doctor, Nurse, Healthcare Worker, New York City, Hospital, Spouse, Partner, Crisis, Shared Trauma, Social Work
