FRONTLINE
A SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM BY STEEP MOTION
ABOUT THE FILM
“Frontline” follows three ICU nurses from Bend, Oregon - Kali, Kasey, and Steph - who use running, friendship, and adventure as their antidote to burnout from working in healthcare. Together, and with the support of their friends, they’re training to trail run the highest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc. Over ten days they’ll cover 112 miles of rugged trail and 35,000 feet of elevation gain. From compassion fatigue and trauma at work to finding solace in each other and nature, the journey is transformative.
Through "Frontline," we aim to shed light on the vital conversations surrounding burnout and the necessity of self-care and support. This film isn’t just about a remarkable group of friends; it’s about the importance of camaraderie, the therapeutic wonders of nature, and the struggles and triumphs experienced by nurses worldwide. We want “Frontline” serve as a tribute to the resilience of all healthcare workers, a plea for awareness, and a celebration of the human spirit’s ability to find hope even in the most challenging circumstances.
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“There is a projected shortage of more than 3 million essential health workers in the next five years.”
U.S. Health & Human Services
ABOUT healthcare Burnout
Although burnout has become more widely reported in recent years, healthcare burnout had already reached “crisis” levels before the pandemic. According to a Consensus Study Report from the National Academies of Medicine (NAM), up to 54% of clinicians were suffering from burnout in 2019.
As of March 2023, 41% of nurses report intent to leave their job, and more than 50% of all healthcare workers report symptoms of at least one mental health condition, such as anxiety, depression, and increased levels of post-traumatic stress disorder. This not only harms individual workers, but also threatens the nation’s public health infrastructure.
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frontline or front-line, front line
\ adjective - of, relating to, or involving the forefront in any action, activity, or field
\ noun - the place where in-person essential work is carried out, especially in jobs that may involve some risk
a note from kasey
If you are not a nurse, it might be easy to brush off the crisis of nurse burnout. The fact of the matter is hospitals across the country are suffering from critical staffing shortages, and nurse to patient ratios are stretched to dangerous margins. This affects everyone.
It’s important to be reminded of what we do as nurses. We have the stress of keeping very sick people alive. We carry uncertainty in each moment that something could suddenly change for the worse. We have the grief and memory of death and body bags, sometimes 3 or 4 in a single shift. While these emotions were heightened during the peak of covid, they are still realities that we deal with on a daily basis. These things are not normal. We often forget that ourselves.
Every day we lose incredible nurses to burnout. Showing up for every shift and doing our best is an everyday struggle. A balance must be struck. It involves staying in touch with yourself, your thoughts and your feelings. With this group of lady nurses, we find therapy in each other and in nature. We vent and cry together, but mostly we have fun, we laugh, we explore. We find release, forgiveness, and the empowerment we need to keep our balance.
Kasey Hostetler
