Trapped in a profession I both love and hate (NHS)

Schmz · 28/02/2022 17:17

I hear ya -
It’s crap
Specialist role here
Mental health
Unremitting unrealistic expectations
Not enough specialist staff
Pressure to do more with less …..

rolypolydoly · 28/02/2022 17:17

Could you look at a secondment or loving to another Trust / area?

What about taking an extended period of leave to gather your thoughts and see how you feel about going back?

Have you tried speaking to your manager about how you're feeling?

rolypolydoly · 28/02/2022 17:17

Moving not loving

DickVanDyke26 · 28/02/2022 17:19

Can't offer much help but I'm sorry for you. I'm in education and feel the same. I've often thought I'd like to work for the NHS but the way things are right now especially after Covid I just don't think I could handle it.

Lottapianos · 28/02/2022 17:22

I absolutely hear you OP, although to be honest I hated my clinical role so was there was no hope for me! It's very hard to know how to make a move when you're in such a highly specialist role. And what a crying shame that experienced, passionate AHPs are being forced out due to working conditions being unbearable

I got a secondment in a corporate role 3 years ago. That became permanent, and I haven't looked back. Not for a second. Is your manager supportive? I told my manager how I was feeling and that I wanted out, and it was the beginning of change for me. She knew about opportunities in the wider organisation that I wasn't aware of. I know this isn't an option for everyone. Good luck to you, it's so bloody tough

ineedsun · 28/02/2022 17:27

Anyone who works in mental health and wants a change, look at university mental health services.

TheLoupGarou · 28/02/2022 17:27

Nurse here. Same same same. It's been a slow realisation that I want out. I'm going to take a financial hit and retrain I think, I'm just trying to work out the best way to do it. (I'm 43 and I don't have another 20+ years of nursing in me)

SuperTed127 · 28/02/2022 17:27

There are always options.

I’m not NHS, but senior in the corporate world and live abroad where there are no other prospective employers.

Less than a month ago I made the decision to look for something else and I’m now in the running for three opportunities, when previously I thought I’d need to move countries (uprooting the family) and was feeling despair at the idea of being trapped.

Start networking, talk to people outside your immediate professional bubble. Pop your head outside the day to day and things will start to happen.

If you’re very specialized, I bet you’ve got terrific transferable skills. You just need to pull yourself out of your perceived pigeon hole and see what you can make happen.

Never feel you are not in control, it’s horrible. You’ve got this!

Original poster

yellowbridgebang · 28/02/2022 17:31

@rolypolydoly

Could you look at a secondment or loving to another Trust / area?

What about taking an extended period of leave to gather your thoughts and see how you feel about going back?

Have you tried speaking to your manager about how you're feeling?

I've been looking at all commutable trusts for a good few months now and there's been no jobs at my band or the ones below. I live in a bit of a funny area where there's not much movement and only a few trusts, no universities doing my course etc. It's quite stagnant.

To complicate matters, I can't move due to family issues (I do love where I live though, I'm not trapped in that sense!) and can't really afford to have an extended period of unpaid leave.

I also feel quite panicky that I'm not sure what I would do anyway. I literally can't think of any other job I want to do (except mine), I just don't want to do it like this.

I REALLY don't want to move in to management etc - I hate a lot of people in those roles and what they're doing at the moment and I don't think I could get past that currently to be successful.

There's no hope for me is there!

OP posts:

Original poster

yellowbridgebang · 28/02/2022 17:33

@SuperTed127

There are always options.

I’m not NHS, but senior in the corporate world and live abroad where there are no other prospective employers.

Less than a month ago I made the decision to look for something else and I’m now in the running for three opportunities, when previously I thought I’d need to move countries (uprooting the family) and was feeling despair at the idea of being trapped.

Start networking, talk to people outside your immediate professional bubble. Pop your head outside the day to day and things will start to happen.

If you’re very specialized, I bet you’ve got terrific transferable skills. You just need to pull yourself out of your perceived pigeon hole and see what you can make happen.

Never feel you are not in control, it’s horrible. You’ve got this!

I am really specialised but it's so niche, it's completely unrelatable to the normal world. I have no idea what kind of job I'd even look for - in my whole career I've only ever looked at the ones with my AHP name in....

OP posts:

Original poster

yellowbridgebang · 28/02/2022 17:34

@TheLoupGarou

Nurse here. Same same same. It's been a slow realisation that I want out. I'm going to take a financial hit and retrain I think, I'm just trying to work out the best way to do it. (I'm 43 and I don't have another 20+ years of nursing in me)

What will you retrain to be? I need some inspiration I think.

And then I think, why am I looking at other professionals, I'm bloody good at the one I've got and I love it......

OP posts:

ThoseFestiveLights · 28/02/2022 17:37

I was in a similar position last year and have moved into (non health) private sector role - London company but WFH. LinkedIn has some great tailored job ads which is how I got the role.

Matched my nhs salary - of course the pension will never match but I’m so so so glad I made the move. You will have more transferable skills than you think. There’s a life outside the NHS !

Lottapianos · 28/02/2022 17:38

'And then I think, why am I looking at other professionals, I'm bloody good at the one I've got and I love it......'

Well, indeed. Would you consider working privately?

Original poster

yellowbridgebang · 28/02/2022 17:41

@Lottapianos

'And then I think, why am I looking at other professionals, I'm bloody good at the one I've got and I love it......'

Well, indeed. Would you consider working privately?

There isn't really a market for what I do privately - requires access to equipment and others departments within the NHS really. I'd have to move into an area of my profession that I hate in order to find a market which I think would create more problems than solve.

OP posts:

Original poster

yellowbridgebang · 28/02/2022 17:42

@ThoseFestiveLights

I was in a similar position last year and have moved into (non health) private sector role - London company but WFH. LinkedIn has some great tailored job ads which is how I got the role.

Matched my nhs salary - of course the pension will never match but I’m so so so glad I made the move. You will have more transferable skills than you think. There’s a life outside the NHS !

Interesting. Never even been on LinkedIn....🤦🏼‍♀️

OP posts:

Fordian · 28/02/2022 17:42

I hear you. I'm Band 6 and I cannot believe how my job has changed for the worst over the past 3-4 years.

Prior to that we were a small team, 8-9 of British trained staff; all skilled, motivated, competent and, above all, people who cared about what they did. Sure, the management above spent much of their time finding ways to screw us over; more work/ less pay; but then we got a manager whose sole role was to force us into 24/7 working. How, long gone, of course.

So, as a result, of those 8-9 of us, I am the sole survivor; most who left actually left the NHS; and the dept is now 20 strong but god, the standards have hit the floor. Some of my fellow workers- well, I can only think that the HCPC (?sp) were told to turn a blind eye to their dubious qualifications, as many are actually dangerous. I wouldn't let them near me or mine. But they just don't care. They shrug at fuck ups, phone in sick if they've got an agency job lined up elsewhere, they're rude to and dismissive of women. It's grim. Meanwhile, the mangers are gaslighting the few left who are Datix'ing these fuck ups, as we must surely be mistaken....

It's really depressing.

Luckily I only have 17 months left before I can walk away.

SuperTed127 · 28/02/2022 17:51

I bet there’s something

Might not be immediate, might not be obvious but get your head in the right space and I bet something will come up.

Could you invest in a life coach?

Original poster

yellowbridgebang · 28/02/2022 17:56

It's also awful that every time someone leaves (taking all their experience and knowledge with them) they down band every job to an NQP who then has even less people to learn off and less career progression for others to develop skills.

Net result is even worse clinical outcomes for patients. And even more unhappy staff.

OP posts:

salemcat · 28/02/2022 18:07

As a student this breaks my heart. I hear the qualified nurses telling us to drop out, I see them leaving in droves & it makes me think, what am I doing🥺

Schmz · 28/02/2022 18:27

It breaks my heart when I think of students paying tuition fees and starting thankless stressful jobs in NHS with tons of debt

Fordian · 28/02/2022 18:56

When I started as a HCP, the 'line' between those who sort of defended you as a coalface worker was between your Superintendent grade 1 and the upper management. That was pre-Agenda For (Short) Change. That Super role is now Band 8C.

(It goes 8C, 8B, 8A, 7, 6, 5. You enter as a degree holder at 5). 7 is either advanced practitioner or shop floor manager. Same pay, different role. The OP is I believe a clinical 7. I have no beef with them, but as for managerial band 7 😡.

Now, the battle line is drawn between manager band 7 and shop floor 6. So many staff, 7 and above now have a brief to screw the 6s and 5s. Just for 'targets'. Which they do, to please their managers, merrily gaslighting the 6s and 5s who spot The Emperor's nudity.

Mirrorball2022 · 28/02/2022 19:03

@yellowbridgebang

I've worked in an AHP profession in the NHS for nearly 20 years and worked my way up to specialist band 7 role. I love what my job should be and I'm bloody good at it. I've worked so hard at it.

But I hate what the NHS has become. The devaluing, the misery olympics, sick patients receiving poor care, the broken equipment, crap computers, nowhere to eat lunch or have meetings, poor offices and no base, told to wfh to get round previous issues when you actually can't, unhappy patients, always apologising, staff off sick or leaving, endless covid restrictions that will never end.

I'm so exhausted and I feel really panicky at the prospect of doing this for another 20 years. I feel trapped. Not sleeping. Tearful and snappy.

But I'm in such a niche area, extremely specialist, no private work or lecturing, minimal job changes around and tbh, it's same shit, different doorstep.

How do you leave when you've got nothing else to offer and you don't really want to leave because you'd still be really happy if you could just do the job in the right circs.....

I could of wrote this…. I keep looking elsewhere but I just don’t even know what to do or where to go but I’m worn out. I’m shattered I’ve now got anxiety and I don’t enjoy my job anymore. I love the NHS and what it should be. It’s not anymore. It’s awful to work in. We can’t do what we should for patient care, I’m sick of being shouted at or being treated like dirt by so many of the public or their families, often for reasons out of our control as staff on the wards/departments.

I don’t think the stress isn’t worth the extra holidays for longer service and pension (which while certainly better than some is now worse than it was) and certainly not the pay either.

It’s so sad.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 28/02/2022 19:11

I’m an AHP too op. You will have way more transferable skills than you realise and could be a great asset to many private companies.

Could you talk to a careers advisor to help you realise your potential?

RIPWalter · 28/02/2022 19:14

I'm a band 6 AHP. I went part time and now work 12 hours a week on a Sunday day shift, which attracts time + 60% (so at the top of band 6 is £19149 per annum for going to work once a week) and I am so much happier as a result. It also means that in the future I can explore other opportunities in or out of the NHS, but at the moment I'm just focused on being a mostly SAHM to my preschooler.

Would part time work give you the headspace to either enjoy your job a bit more or explore new things?

CosmicComfort · 28/02/2022 19:24

Nurse here who can completely relate. 20+ years qualified, there has been some big changes.

I’m late 40’s, I’ve moved in to a Band 7 management role and I am thinking 10 years max and I will look at doing just bank and parking my pension.

I am fortunate that dses will both be through university in 5 years time and financially, we could afford to live on a lot less once they are independent.

I feel like I’m too old and tired to retrain and like you, I do feel I am good at what I do.

That’s all I’ve got really, I wish I’d done something else. I think OT’s have a much better workload than nursing staff in mental health. Wish I’d done that but definitely too late for me.