| Background: Mental health status among medical professionals, especially in light of the recent
COVID-19 health crisis, is a critical public health issue that warrants further investigation.
Purpose: This study contributes to the knowledge base regarding the extent that mental health
burdens have been exacerbated by COVID-19, and also broadens the understanding of the
unique challenges faced by healthcare workers in southwest Idaho during crisis situations.
Methods: Employing autoethnographic and semi-structured interview data collection methods
allowed me to qualitatively analyze and interpret how my own lived experiences working
through the pandemic as an MRI Technologist compared to the experiences of other frontline
healthcare workers, based on a newly developed conceptual/analytical framework.
Results: The results of this comparative autoethnography show that COVID-19, the hero
discourse, and shifts in knowledge and power each had a profound impact on the paradigm of
truth for many healthcare workers in southwest Idaho, myself included.
Key Words: Autoethnography, Healthcare, COVID-19, Mental Health, Medical Imaging, Idaho |