If you work for NHS do you ever feel like giving up?

[Pileonsally]

I work for NHS and have always felt its a rewarding job, supporting people in crisis, making a difference.
However last 18mths I feel like giving up. I have no resources to help. No staff. Massive workload. Feel im constantly letting patients down and surrounded by poor care (due to lack of resources, not the wonderful staff).
Feel like getting out but then feel so sad giving up.
Also no idea what else I can do?

Does anyone else feel like this ?

@Supersimkin2

Struck by the ‘we ain’t got no staff’ posts followed by the inevitable ‘so I went off sick fully paid for six months’.

I’m a fan of the NHS and worried you have no idea of the comments coming your way from the electorate. The real victims, sorry patients. Most UK workers don’t get sick leave paid at all, for a start.

Cos Covid won’t cut it forever.

I've been on sick pay for the last 6 weeks after a patient attacked me resulting in a serious back injury needing back surgery so yes I will be taking my full pay sick pay.

The two main causes of long term sick in the nhs is mental health & back pain. Both of which would be significantly decreased if we had safe staffing levels!

I'm only 5 years into my career and my back is now never going to be the same, I'm 28!
So please do train and join us for the great sick pay!!

@Supersimkin2 bring on the “comments from the electorate”. I don’t give a shit. Until “the electorate” comes to do my job and deals with the shit I deal with, they can call me whatever they like. You don’t know what you don’t know 🤷🏼‍♀️

Now I locum I don't get sick pay. It is still better than the bullying and continual threat of sanctions over sickness I had when I was in the NHS. The shit from management was unbelievable, and no my health is never going to be the same. Please feel welcome to the great sickpay if you'd like it!

Funnily enough I'm not sick nearly as often as I don't choose to work in places where I feel unsafe again. As everywhere is short, there is a lot of choice out there.

@Supersimkin2 I have taken zero sick leave for possibly the last 7 yrs (hysterectomy) My team have virtually zero sick leave. They all get 6 months fully paid leave but know that we can't cope if they are not there so drag themselves in.

My experience is you get some staff who regularly take sick leave and for complicated reasons the NHS is useless at managing long term malingering. Their long term sick completely skews the reporting of sick leave across the NHS implying that individuals take lots which is absolutely not my experience.

Previous poster with sick leave following assault is not a malingerer

That’s it, in my experience most of the team feel too guilty to take sick leave and while you might get the odd pisstaker it tends to be a day here and there, not long term sick leave for 6 months.

I’m due to have a hip replacement in the next couple of months and I’m torn between taking the minimal leave possible and getting back ASAP which would be my usual MO, and taking a good 12 weeks to recover fully and take my time a bit. I worry I wouldn’t be able to go back again though!

@JudyGemstone

That’s it, in my experience most of the team feel too guilty to take sick leave and while you might get the odd pisstaker it tends to be a day here and there, not long term sick leave for 6 months.

I’m due to have a hip replacement in the next couple of months and I’m torn between taking the minimal leave possible and getting back ASAP which would be my usual MO, and taking a good 12 weeks to recover fully and take my time a bit. I worry I wouldn’t be able to go back again though!

Dh is booked for a hip replacement too, the Ortho surgeon told him he needed 10 weeks off, Dh is already saying his team won’t be able to cope that long so he’s planning on going back after 6 weeks It’s ridiculous he has to stand for hours doing complicated procedures. But he hasn’t taken a day off sick in all the years we’ve been together (15), because he can’t let his team down.

I'm leaving my lovely community team (hopefully in the new year) as I have to relocate to receive family help with my DC as a single parent.

I'm currently off with Covid and have had awful treatment from my management in the period leading up to this. I wish I could start the relocation process sooner and get any nursing job in the new area I'm moving to, but I can't because of a gap in service. So I have to get well and return to the same team of over-worked and understaffed colleagues in the knowledge that I'm nothing more than a number to Management. I can finally say I will be sticking to my contracted hours and not breaking my back to cover for others like I've previously done.

It's quite unfortunate.

I’m nhs admin so not having the same experience as front line but the department I work for is on its knees. Our clinical staff are all exhausted and physically can’t do anymore hours than they’re already doing but our waiting lists are higher than ever and we’re breaching wait times in every area.
I had to cancel a clinic a couple of days ago and got so much abuse from the patients I was ringing that when I finally got someone who was kind to me I cried.
I’m so close to giving up and leaving and I used to love my job

At 11.56 said panic attack.
Now have headache, dizziness, sore throat, cough.
Lft strange results T line disappeared 🤷🏻‍♀️
Been sent for pcr
Typically just been redeployed onto the COVID ward.
So is it ok @Supersimkin2 that I've gone off sick?

@MissyB1 try make him
Have the full ten weeks. The NHS will just have to cope without him.

I worked as a mentsl health nurse in the NHS for 15 years. I left 15 years ago! I just felt totally unsupported, the service was hugely under resources with cut after cut and it all felt very unsafe. I still work in care but in a lower role on less money. I have never regretted my decision.

Yes I feel same and wish I knew what to do next. Sorry for you OP.

In mental health 25 years.

Not at the ‘giving up’ stage but frequently dream of alternative jobs where there is satisfaction without the crushing feeling of responsibility and accountability. Holding ever-increasing amounts of risk.

It’s not gonna happen as I can’t afford to take a pay cut or retrain or do anything purely vocational. So do feel stuck.

The PP who described her job in the CMHT really resonated!! Spot on description of community work and why I’ve had to switch jobs recently.

So sorry to everyone who is feeling on their knees atm 💐

Make him have the full 10 weeks.

When I had my gallbladder out, my surgeon told me 2 weeks minimum and to ignore any pressure to come back sooner, if necessary quoting his name.

I thought 'who would pressure me to come back sooner, obvs I'm having surgery?' What an idiot, my manager, an actual medical consultant would

If he's told 10 weeks, he takes 10 weeks. Not a day less.

I will try and make him take the full 10 weeks, apparently the manager is getting a Locum in to cover him - but as dh says "Good luck with that!" Even Locums dont want to work there!

21 years here and I utterly utterly love my job. Operated as usual through the pandemic face to face and battled on.

However the caseload has grown exponentially in the last 10 years and continues to grow at a faster rate than even 5 years ago. We have exactly the same number of staff managing a caseload that has quadrupled.

Recently put together a clear plan of how we can just simply continuing operating at a safe level to be told No.

My lot made a big fuss about getting a locum for 2 weeks!

I just smiled and nodded. To no-one's surprise no locum materialized.

This ^ the bullying from management over my episodes of sick leave due to my mental health deteriorating, just awful. You’d think there would be compassion in MH services.

I have often felt that (23 years in mental health) but I suddenly find myself in a role doing what I am trained and skilled at doing, given time to do it, a reasonable sized caseload, a well managed waiting list and service and we are protected by our efficient manager from additional demands and the shit that the trust tries to throw at us (which is unrelenting) . Its a revelation. I feel so motivated and rewarded and my work is really helping people. This is what it could be like. A year ago when I started it wasn't like this and everyone was leaving.

Although the rest of your post is enlightening yo your mindset.

As is yours.

I have PTSD as a direct result of behaviour by NHS staff. According to NHS posters on this thread I should be grateful for that harm and the way it's totally fucked up my life because as a patient I deserved it? Are you fucking serious?

It's quite something to complain people aren't showing you enough empathy whilst displaying sheer contempt for the vulnerable people in your care.

@evianlion

Although the rest of your post is enlightening yo your mindset.

As is yours.

I have PTSD as a direct result of behaviour by NHS staff. According to NHS posters on this thread I should be grateful for that harm and the way it's totally fucked up my life because as a patient I deserved it? Are you fucking serious?

It's quite something to complain people aren't showing you enough empathy whilst displaying sheer contempt for the vulnerable people in your care.

I'm not sure how you have drawn that conclusion, you realise that NHS staff aren't just one entity right? Of course the behaviour by some NHS staff sounds absolutely awful, but that some is a teeny tiny percentage, and whilst I hope they were dealt with appropriately, it's this kind of attitude that makes people think fuck it. If you really think the majority have contempt for vulnerable people in their care, then that's sad and actually insulting.

Hi OP!!! I have been a RGN for 30 years and I am done!!! Worked through Covid until November when I was ordered by my Consultant to quarantine and stay home. Am currently at home with a b wrist with a diagnosis of OA in both hands making it unlikely that I can continue in my role as a Nurse. Hospital trying to redeploy me. I don't know whether to laugh or cry! But I hear you!! Before going on covid leave and buggeringy wrist I was developing panic attacks before going on duty and a constant thought of "there has to be an easier way".

@evianlion

Although the rest of your post is enlightening yo your mindset.

As is yours.

I have PTSD as a direct result of behaviour by NHS staff. According to NHS posters on this thread I should be grateful for that harm and the way it's totally fucked up my life because as a patient I deserved it? Are you fucking serious?

It's quite something to complain people aren't showing you enough empathy whilst displaying sheer contempt for the vulnerable people in your care.

No, read the post again. It's not about vulnerable patients, but about the 'sheer contempt' being shown to nhs staff who have been injured at work and subsequently need to take sick leave.

Not a single poster has said you should be grateful for being harmed, or that you deserved it? Are you reading a different thread? Or please quote where anyone has portrayed that attitude.

Struck by the ‘we ain’t got no staff’ posts followed by the inevitable ‘so I went off sick fully paid for six months’.

I’m a fan of the NHS and worried you have no idea of the comments coming your way from the electorate. The real victims, sorry patients. Most UK workers don’t get sick leave paid at all, for a start.

Cos Covid won’t cut it forever.

Yeah them fucking entitled nurses, fancy getting ill, cheeky bastards, who do they think they are being human, don't they know that they're supposed to never get sick ever and just shake it off, get back up and dive back in?!
Don't even know why we pay them tbh, supposed to be a vocation isn't it? What they need paying for? Supposed to do it because they want to help people.

Or alternatively you could listen to those actually doing the job about the issues that are occurring and take some notice of why this is happening and point the finger in the right direction, because the sidestepping of the blame by those allowing dangerous staffing levels, shite working conditions and increasing expectations while decreasing resources and the blame landing with the nurses is part of the problem.

@Whenigrowupiwanttobea me too. Hope you are starting to feel a bit better. I'm off with long covid after a 30 year career in nursing too. I might flexi retire but not sure I could physically do the job, even just 1 day a week. I reckon work might want to redeploy me but where to ? So frustrating isn't it