Healthcare workers learn to have iron bladders because they DON'T get enough breaks for loo!
There are restrictions (even in non Covid times) on what loos they're allowed to use (for infection control purposes) and too many places DON'T have enough staff loos or have them near enough to nip to! They aren't allowed to just use the patient or even visitor ones
Lockers IF available are often in stupid places too!
Im not convinced that they are so busy all the time that they cant go for a wee
Wow!
Was certainly the case when I worked nhs and that was almost 30 years ago and from ex colleagues/friends I am still in touch with who are still working in nhs I am told conditions are FAR worse than they were then!
Staff are timed on their breaks in the worst places
Depending on the area of medicine a hcp works in too there may well be strict rules on infection control that means it's NOT like when you change at home a quick 5 minute job it can take half an hour or so!
Between spread out hospital campuses, "one way systems" within hospitals (so the room you need to get to MIGHT be just through door A but you're not allowed to go that route (usually infection control or security reasons) so actually you have to go through door B down corridor C, then up one floor in one lift down 2 floors in another and down ANOTHER corridor to get to the room you need! This is not an exaggeration my first hospital I worked in we had to do something like this to get to the staff loos! Took a good 15 mins!) poorly located lockers and loos, infection control rules, additional handwashing required...
Staff are questioned and expected to justify their every move! If they're in a room/lift/corridor they're not supposed to be they get a bollocking just for that!
If I was on a very heavy period I would shove a new pad into the top of my tights or down the side of my bra or something, so I'm prepared for later on.
Some infection control uniform rules wouldn't allow for that or the clothing wouldn't be suitable etc
If I'm scrubbed then I need to find someone to scrub in to replace me and do their checks before I can leave the table. exactly
As a pp says, if men bled every month you can bet your arse there would be everything required in every bathroom in the land.
Damn straight!
@LuluBlakey1 wow!
1 you're wrong there are a number of reasons why it's harder for hcps as mentioned
2 what a SHOCKING lack of compassion!
What is the difference between this and toilet paper? It’s to deal with a bodily function?
I agree there's no difference!
What is actually needed is more staff.
True - and for SO many reasons inc lack of breaks
But this govt WANTS the public to turn on the nhs! Underfunding/understaffing it is the perfect way to do so!
@Tiredmum100 yes! I was just thinking about the community nurses too!
@Stompythedinosaur yep! Hence the can't just go through door A situation cos it compromises the security of a secure Mh ward for example
well I manage ok so what's wrong with those of you that can't?
Very common on threads discussing periods on the general boards I can remember commenting on the period poverty threads a few years back, a lot of ignorant and compassionless posters who ASSUMED that all womens periods were the same as theirs! This was in the vast majority if not all cases posters whose periods were really pretty light and short lasting
I was explaining as I have endo just how bad and expensive things were for me at their worst (not just Sanpro, also pain meds, ruined clothes, towels,bedding etc) and I was more than once told I was lying! As were some fellow sufferers it was disgusting!
@Bigoakbeam for example has clearly never had an ACTUAL very heavy period! When I was a max absorbency pad AND tampon were soaked through usually in around 50 mins
@gogohm I've also worked in many other industries and I can assure you it IS completely different in healthcare!
most nurses are assigned to one area for a shift so it's less of an issue.
Not always though. Depends on their clinical area.
Only question I have for the nurses and other hcps on thread - what are your unions doing about this? Are you in unions?
Nurses have been dealing with difficult and even unhealthy and almost abusive working conditions for decades.
Yep
Is there a manager anywhere in the NHS who would say no, you have to wait until your designated break time?
Omg yes! Most of them ime/what I've heard recently!
are you allowed to wear anything under scrubs?
Not always depends what your work involves.
Theatre you couldn't, mental health I'm thinking secure wards probably not, areas where infection control is very strict eg icu, I'm sure there are others too
Sanitary stuff doesn’t cost a lot these days and you can carry it with you.
Clearly not read the thread!
How many of them vote Tory as they 'know what a woman is'.
Fat lot of good that knowledge is doing here eh?!
Ugh I know! Don't get me started!
I do wonder if the same people saying that they don't believe that some don't get chance for a toilet break in a shift would also be the same ones complaining when left by a HCP for the 20 mins it might take to get to a locker, get the sanpro, change, observe hygiene and get back to the patient.
Oh come on! You KNOW they'd be the FIRST to complain!
I really think if you haven’t done the job/worn the uniform/walked the walk then you just don’t have a clue.
Yep!
Same way they were horrified at how much it cost us to park, that we weren’t allowed to park on-site and discouraged from parking in a particular radius of the hospital and that at 5.30pm I was just getting to go for my ‘lunch’.
Yes yes yes!
A lot of people are completely deluded about the state of the NHS right now!
Definitely!
And I include myself in that. I'm told but I'm no longer experiencing it and I'm being told it's WAY worse now and it was bad enough back then!