From Shadows to Spotlight: Providing Awareness and Recognition to Overlooked Canadian Health Care Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the Canadian health care system, leading to challenges like burnout and staff shortages alongside rapid policy changes. While doctors and nurses were crucial during this time, so were other health care groups. In our recent CIHR-funded project, we examined a wide range of lesser-known health care groups (e.g., medical laboratory technologists and pharmacy technicians). Despite their role differences, one clear theme emerged from our work, which is that the general public and some policymakers have limited awareness of their job roles. This issue led to two stressors. First, policy changes, especially during the pandemic, affecting their ability to do their work properly. Second, they felt unappreciated despite their efforts to support patients during the pandemic. Our goal is to create a 30-minute documentary, uncovering the essential roles of these workers. To achieve this, we have partnered with a local hospital that permitted us to film in selected sites. We will interview various health care workers to find out about their job roles, what stressors they face, what they are passionate about in their work, and finally, what they would like the public to know about their work. To gain a multi-perspective, we will also interview members of their associations and engage citizen councils for insights and advocacy. By sharing their stories through the documentary, we aim to raise public awareness and appreciation for these vital health care workers. The Public Health Services Health & Safety Association will help promote and disseminate the documentary, ensuring it reaches a broader audience. Through this project, we hope to bridge the gap in understanding and recognizing the diverse roles contributing to the health care system's functioning.