Health care workers and suicide rates are becoming an increasing concern and have been described as epidemic. U.S. population 12/100,000. Physician 13/100,000. Nurses 16/100,000. Even medical assistants 21/100,000. This is tragic and hospitals and government institutions haven't begun to address the root cause.

There is tremendous pressure daily to perform without emotion. I have had tragic loss of life that both myself and the nursing staff had to witness and never once did anyone ask us how we felt or tried to assist in any healing. We were told don't talk about it for fear of lawsuit and, by the way, there is another patient to go see. Take five minutes and start work again. Can't take time off because this would be an unexcused absence and you can get fired for that. No chance of using disability because stress and depression are excluded. And yes, the patient complained about you, and if your patient satisfaction scores don't improve, then you could be in trouble.

Have I thought about suicide? The answer is yes. I look at pictures of my wife and children and think how I can't leave them or how could I explain to my children what their father did and why? You can't talk about this, and this might end my career because people think of you as crazy and too much risk. But this is the reality. We aren't machines, and don't treat us as such. I bleed red like everyone else and feel emotions too.

ERIC MORTON, Cape Girardeau