Diary summary week ending 25th September - the end of an era

[pharmaT]

Hope you're feeling better Mark.

I am completely exhausted working short staffed.  I know proper people will say I have no right to be tired but it so different for the body working full throttle the whole shift compared to working steady and having bursts of full throttle.  Especially when you factor in not getting full breaks and not eating and drinking enough.

Browsing cars on the internet.  Decided to go for a new one the old one is getting to the point it's costing too much between actual repair costs and the costs of not having the car a few days at a time.    My driving patterns have changed significantly since I got my last car too so looking at smaller cars.

edited to correct typo

[River Tyne Lass]

PharmaT, in my opinion 'proper' people would say you do have a right to feel tired and that it is totally normal that in your circumstances you would feel exhausted as you do.
I am totally with you on this. I think this is a massive problem that little attention gets paid to. 
We don't get breaks at all.  Officially on paper we do 'when we can' but in reality we never can.  I know this sounds highly far fetched  but it is true.  If I didn't do what I do I think I might have a hard time believing it myself.   Occasionally, there might be time for one person to have a break, but no one wants to be that one person going off for a break when you know that others will not get one.  Occasionally, a foolhardy person raises this issue.  Big no no, this never goes down well, only troublemakers would winge about not having a break. 
I think having a break to the assigned minute should be mandatory.  I do think if the 'powers that be' set it in stone and made it mandatory a way would be found.  To me it is too lame that there is not enough time.  A way should be found to make the time, for goodness sake!
If this was sorted out, I think morale would literally soar, turnover and sickness rates would be less, employees would be healthier and happier and do a better job and those being looked after would benefit.
This is a real bugbear with me as you can tell.  It does feel like crying out in the wilderness and that it feels like a waste of breath.  Who listens, who cares if we work exhausted and eventually become burnt out?   Perhaps one day, when I retire and am safe from possible risk of being labelled as a troublemaker, I may well campaign about this issue.
Just want to say I understand Pharma.  Try to make time to rest to  when you are at home.  If it means letting standards slip a little, let things go, is my advice.  You are more important, put yourself first rather than the jobs.

 

[BumbleB]

Please, please, please, pharmaT - do not keep putting yourself down. 

From your posts it is obvious that you work VERY VERY hard, and you have two children to take into account which is yet another item to take into consideration.  Go for it - you are a female after all, and we know that WE are the strongest! 

[Maiden Stone]

River Tyne Lass and pharmaT. Neither of you are Superwoman, nor should you expected to be. You're not robots either. You are human beings and should be treated as such.

Autumn has arrived and brought gales. 2 bins to put out in street. Hope they don't blow over. 2 months since recyclables bin was emptied so it contains twice as many cans, cartons &c. as normal.

[pharmaT]

PharmaT, in my opinion 'proper' people would say you do have a right to feel tired and that it is totally normal that in your circumstances you would feel exhausted as you do.
I am totally with you on this. I think this is a massive problem that little attention gets paid to. 
We don't get breaks at all.  Officially on paper we do 'when we can' but in reality we never can.  I know this sounds highly far fetched  but it is true.  If I didn't do what I do I think I might have a hard time believing it myself.   Occasionally, there might be time for one person to have a break, but no one wants to be that one person going off for a break when you know that others will not get one.  Occasionally, a foolhardy person raises this issue.  Big no no, this never goes down well, only troublemakers would winge about not having a break. 
I think having a break to the assigned minute should be mandatory.  I do think if the 'powers that be' set it in stone and made it mandatory a way would be found.  To me it is too lame that there is not enough time.  A way should be found to make the time, for goodness sake!
If this was sorted out, I think morale would literally soar, turnover and sickness rates would be less, employees would be healthier and happier and do a better job and those being looked after would benefit.
This is a real bugbear with me as you can tell.  It does feel like crying out in the wilderness and that it feels like a waste of breath.  Who listens, who cares if we work exhausted and eventually become burnt out?   Perhaps one day, when I retire and am safe from possible risk of being labelled as a troublemaker, I may well campaign about this issue.
Just want to say I understand Pharma.  Try to make time to rest to  when you are at home.  If it means letting standards slip a little, let things go, is my advice.  You are more important, put yourself first rather than the jobs.

 

sadly, letting things go isn't really an option. I need to be inspection ready at all times, and I'm judged against higher standards than others.

[louisa maud]

PharmaT
None of my business  but if you are buying a car  new to you but not brand new you ought to have it checked out or take someone else with  you, sometimes you can get a report by an automobile assoc,   just a thought
LM

[River Tyne Lass]

Yes, I agree that we are not superwomen or robots.  Sadly, I think at least for some of us when you work in the care of people there is an image or stereotype of the selfless, caring person happy to work to exhaustion.   I think that does  become an expectation that we will try to live up to it.  There can be really bad shift patterns.  I often get only a maximum of up to five hours sleep between shifts.  I can overlook this as I do recognise that planning shifts for a team is not easy.  However, I do think it is not rocket science to try to make it possible for people to have breaks.  If X, Y, and Z are not getting their entitled breaks, it should be asked why and someone should try to fix whatever the problem is.  It is not good enough to say "oh, it says in the policy or whatever, you get a 20 minute break" .. try checking to see if things are a reality in practice.  Mental health is quite a trendy subject these days. Pharma do you see things like posters with things on like 'support your colleague, they might have a mental health problem' or the latest mental health service that you can contact for free confidential support.  All lip service.  If mental health was really cared about more attention would be paid to seeing to the basics such as that people get their entitled breaks and are not run into the ground.
I feel quite sassy talking about this subject and part of me feels perhaps I should really just keep my mouth shut.  I cannot change things but at least it gives me some satisfaction to acknowledge the state of things.
I can vouch that being run down long term has a cumulative effect.  I don't know about you Pharma but my sleep quality is very poor and I live in a state of permanent tiredness.  I range from being tired, very tired, exhausted and on occasion burnt out.  There have been times where I have felt so exhausted to the point of feeling ill.  I have thought is it time to see a doctor?  But then I think, no, keep going, keep going.  It can be hard to contemplate and even scary on occasions to feel that you might have reached the end of your tether.   There was one day recently when I felt so exhausted and it was awful but then then two hours before the end of the shift I somehow broke through the pain barrier of tiredness and it was amazing how suddenly alert I felt - like adrenaline had suddenly kicked in!
I do know where you are coming from Pharma; I hope it helps to know you are not alone in this. Exhausting work day in day out can be very hard and there is nothing wrong in admitting this.  I am sorry that you have the additional burden of feeling that you have to live up to higher standards than others. 

[Rena]

Years ago when I heard a consultant and others connected to the NHS casually state that junior doctors were expected to work twelve hour shifts I was horrified that anyone would think an extremely tired person was expected to be able to have a clear head and steady hands during emergencies.

In fact when my first baby was due I was very afraid for my baby when I saw the hospital doctor leaning against the corridor wall with obvious exhaustion.

The fact that nurses are also expected to do such ungodly hours is shameful.  It's possibly why my OH unexpectedly died in hospital aged 61 = because somebody in one department forgot to do a follow up.

The free NHS is a magnet and I think it has come to the stage where something has to be done.  Maybe incomers to this country have to be covered by their own annual insurance (a scheme such as Germany has) where patients buy their own medication from the pharmacies and then claim back the charges? 

[louisa maud]

Some hopes Rena,  can't see it happening  but a good idea if it works but as you say, something has to be done
LM