Too caring?

[Elvisbaby321]

So I’m looking for advice I currently work as a senior carer at a care home I honestly love it there however it is long hours 12 hours and 5 nights a week this is none negotiable and can’t be changed the pay rate is amazing and in the current climate I should have no complaints or concerns.

However I work a night shift and whenever I come in for my next shift there’s always complaints from the day shift just small minor things that I honestly wouldn’t feel the need to grumble about I’m a senior so I’m expected to sort the problems out even when there isn’t really one there.

When the complaints are being read out to me I can’t help but feel upset that minor things are being complained about and yet if anything’s wrong on a night that the previous team has done I tend to just not say anything because I understand they may have been busy and everyone makes mistakes I don’t make a big deal about it and write in a book where the managers read it. There’s another Night senior who writes Every little thing down however they seem to brush the complaints under the rug as she complains so much however when it’s the day staff it’s completely different.

I worry now like it looks like I can’t do my job or if I’m just worrying too much what people are thinking and whether I should honestly just report every little thing no matter how big or small it may be just seems rather petty. However after working at the home a year I’m beginning to understand this is how it is it’s a very negative environment I have thought about leaving but I’m currently 8 weeks pregnant so plan on leaving after maternity not sure if it’s even just me being overly emotional right now

Has anyone being in the predicament I feel like I’m trying to please everyone and keep the peace and it’s honestly doing me no favours what so ever? I feel like I should complain a little more but honestly feel like it would fall on deaf ears managers seem to always side with the day staff as they seem to have more of a bond with them.

[Elieza]

Either you all need to write everything down for both shifts or nothing.

It probably looks just now like the day shift are angels because the night shift ‘never have any complaints‘.

That’s possibly why the day shift are the blue eyes boys. They don’t know the night shift have plenty minor concerns but you just deal with them and never say anything. Which could be annoying for your colleagues who report stuff to you but nothing ever seems to get done....and it happens again...rinse and repeat...

After a while or recording everything including trivial stuff you can speak to those more senior and point out the amount of time this is taking and that people need to start doing things properly. So all staff need reminded that the bins need emptied before shift ends and the toast crumbs need swept off the worktop (or whatever minor shut it is) by ALL colleagues. Include the day shift and night shift complaints.

Hopefully a more robust and uniform approach to the issues for continuity will help?

[MistressMounthaven]

Can you flatter or praise some of the day staff's work - it's harder to whinge if someone has told you how happy a patient is with them or how efficient they are etc

[Elvisbaby321]

That’s the problem I have when I first started reported day staff for things when my team tells me things and it ended up in a tit for tatt which I’ve told them I no longer want to be apart of especially as the manager seemed to agree with everything the day senior said as “she didn’t really know the night staff as she doesn’t see us” it feels like whenever the nights report something it gets seen as petty however if the days report something it gets blown into something big

[Elvisbaby321]

I do flatter and praise them lol that’s also the problem as I think they see me as a friend so when I complain I think they take it personally like I sort of am also it makes no difference as they still complain

[Bargebill19]

You have to learn to ignore it. Deal with the complaints and move on. Day shift will get lots of complaints from visitors and outside agencies (solicitors/nurses/dr etc) and will in turn try to ensure that might shift aren’t seen as ‘perfect’. Shit but sadly true. It’s a ‘look not everyone is soooo perfect” situation in the eyes of the day shift.
Plus day shift alway perceive that night shift is so much easier as the residents are asleep - which is so not true and you have less staff in general!!
You sound very caring and good at you job, but just need to accept this is part and parcel of the day shift v night shift dynamic.

[Elvisbaby321]

Yeah I think you might be right to be honest I think they do think we have it easier however they have 6 staff in the day at night because “everyone’s asleep” believe me they certainly aren’t we only have 3 staff I do 50 plus hours a week so by the end I’m exhausted and now I’m pregnant i feel sick all the time too so understand I may miss things might be just something I have to deal with till I leave Thankyou for the advice

[Elieza]

Could you find out which shift is supposed to do what? Sounds like nobody knows and that’s why they get off with not doing things.

The whole tit for tat thing has apparently happened before and presumably your manager noticed it and didn’t like it. Perhaps go back to her again and say it’s kicking off again.

Re your health have you been risk assessed to make sure you are doing only what you should? Im not sure of mat issues, could you involve occy health if needs be?