Using your skills vs staying safe

[wintertime6]

I feel really torn. I work in a healthcare profession and have skills that are needed at the moment and really feel like I want to do my little bit to help in this awful crisis. I've been asked if I could offer my skills for a day or so a week, or whatever I'd be able to offer. It would mean working on Covid wards, although not directly at the bedside.

I am married and have 2 toddlers. If it was just me, I'd offer my services in a flash. But I just don't know what I should do.....should I be prioritising my family and reducing the risk of me bringing any infection into the household? We have no underlying conditions, but it's still a risk, especially if I'm offering to place myself so close to diagnosed Covid patients.

But I feel like I need to do this, to do my little bit in the fight against this horrible virus. If everyone was to stay at home to reduce their risk then we'd have no doctors or nurses or supermarket workers etc out there doing their bit.

Help!

It’s up to you, do what your conscience tells you, nobody can reach your reasoning. The risk of being non-bedside is manageable, as long as you have PPE.

I’ve been repurposed in my company and am now having to cycle here there and everywhere and visit multiple supermarkets every day because I’m expected to support our elderly service users who can’t go out themselves. I don’t mind doing it - but honestly, as long as I’m being expected to put my health at risk for the benefit of other people, this also means I’m going out for my own benefit whenever I want, as well. Fair’s fair, that’s my reckoning.

Is this additional paid shifts-extra to what you are already working?

Yes I know it's up to me and I want to do it, but I just keep thinking what if anything happened to me or any of my family and i could have avoided it, that would be so difficult to deal with. It would be extra shifts on top of my current part time job, but in the hospital (I don't usually work in the hospital), which I could take on at the moment as my DH is furloughed and at home to look after the kids.

If you have no health issues and your ages arent the high risk ages anyway id say your risk of anything serious happening is low. I think morally you should step up but on a human level i get not wanting to do it.
Many health care professionals are in your position and put the greater good above their own family, like a soldier at war times.

Really tough. If I was going to do it I would make sure I had a decent sum in life insurance, a Will etc.