sometimes i see discussions about the interactions between the younger generation of docs/nurses and the more experienced staff; specifically surrounding the work culture and 'pushing through'. what i find interesting though, is that a lot of people see these actions as personal flaws; either saying that the younger character needs to push through and accept that this is what it's like, or that the experienced character is bad for furthering the toxic work culture. and i feel like that's not right?
as someone who works in healthcare, i think we shouldn't look at these actions as personal decisions, cruelty, or weaknes, but more as all of these people being a product of a severely damaged system. each and every character works in the same system; the ways that this culture has forced them to push through is reflected in how much they expect others to push through, or how they react to being pushed themselves. age, experience, and so much more goes into it. but at the end of the day, the system spares no one.
throughout the seasons there are several instances where we can tell where on the spectrum these characters are. people like robby, dana, jack, shen and ellis are very immersed into the system. they've been told over and over to suck it up, to the point that they surrender and expect others to do the same. it feels cruel, but this is not a personal flaw; they're the product of the system. while joy, mckay, and javadi all push back in ways. whether this is leaving early, having(or seeking out) a social life, or saying no to procedures, they all draw a line to not get sucked up by this work culture. santos is a mix of both, actively complaining but surrendering at the same time. same with samira, who wants a social life but does nothing to get there, working to the bone.
the experiences these people have had in their personal and professional lives cause them to either be more or less susceptible to accepting the work culture. do they have external support, do they have a family, therapy, cultural differences regarding their own feelings when it comes to work culture, trauma? how easily to they surrender to it, how easily do they draw boundaries?
it also depends on how long they've been working there. because the system gets everyone in the end. experiencing and witnessing trauma at work on the regular and seeing first hand how little the system cares about your life and mental health, will make you have less faith that the system will change. it hardens you up. people like dana and robby are a testament to that, while javadi and joy have just started their careers and are baffled with how little is being done about the trauma that they have to witness daily. they rightfully draw a line and recognise how bad this culture is in the people around them. javadi even says it, look at what this place does to you.
this work requires you to be tough, but also requires you to be empathetic. i said this in a post months ago, but the lines 'this job is not for the faint of heart' and 'it's not for the unempathetic either' are the basis of what this show is. you need to be strong enough to handle what you see everyday, but need to stay empathetic and caring enough to try and make a change everyday. unfortunately, because the system is so damaged, that is a very hard thing to do. in fact, it's almost impossible as we can see on screen. at some point, people give up.
and so i don't like viewing the choices these characters make regarding the work culture as a personal flaw or deliberate decision. i see it as a combination of circumstances, social life, experience, and the weight of the system. which ends up causing these people to perpetuate it. because that is what they are doing. they have fallen victim to the system, and through that they perpetuate it and allow it to continue; the machine swallows up another young fawn who will go past their limits in order to do this job.
none of these characters are bad people; but their actions are harmful. unfortunately for them though, these actions were directly spawned by how they were treated during the start of their training, during residency, and during the years after. in addition to personal circumstances. this is not a choice, it's surrender. they are telling the others to surrender too, even if that continues the cycle, even if that harms them.
