Viral Heroism: What the Rhetoric of Heroes in the COVID-19 Pandemic Tells Us About Medicine and Professional Identity.
HEC Forum
; 33(1-2): 109-124, 2021 Jun.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1064550
ABSTRACT
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the use of the term "hero" has been widespread. This is especially common in the context of healthcare workers and it is now unremarkable to see large banners on hospital exteriors that say "heroes work here". There is more to be gleaned from the rhetoric of heroism than just awareness of public appreciation, however. Calling physicians and nurses heroes for treating sick people indicates something about the concept of medicine and medical professionals. In this essay, I will examine three aspects of the social role of medicine exposed by the language of heroism. One, if a hero is someone who goes above and the call of duty, then does that mean exposing oneself to risk of infection is no longer a duty of physicians (as it used to be)? If so, does that mean the "profession" of medicine is much like any other business? Two, physicians and nurses are not the only "heroes" this go-around. Anyone deemed essential to the US "infrastructure" is designated by the US government as having "special responsibilities" to remain at their posts for the public good, which explicitly puts physicians in the same category as sewage workers and grocery store cashiers. Three, what does it mean to belong to a profession that does (or does not) have self-sacrifice and risk-taking as part of its mission-especially a profession that rarely gets called upon to practice these obligations?
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Professional-Patient Relations
/
Self Concept
/
Health Personnel
/
Professional Role
/
Courage
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
HEC Forum
Journal subject:
Ethics
/
Hospitals
/
Jurisprudence
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S10730-020-09434-4
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS