Anyone else feel like covid is endless…

[Weenurse]

In terms of hospital staffing?
Constantly looking for staff to do double shifts or pick up extra shifts.
Not only nurses, but kitchen staff and cleaning staff and orderlies.
One nurse commented yesterday that in 38 years of nursing, she had never seen it worse.
How do you boost morale and keep going?

I don't think you can to be honest. Whilst I do my best, I (nurse) do find it very stressful to constantly be getting message alerts and whatsapp messages from managers looking for cover & the expectation that we will all work over our contracted hours.

It is different in a crisis but this has been going on for over two years. We have had a real terms pay cut when you look at NI increase and inflation. Everyone is struggling. I don't know what the answer is.

The answer is simple. Institutions like the NHS should do as Sweden did right at the start and carry on as normal. Sick people should stay home as should happen regardless of the covid issue. Healthy people should be at work.

@DrNo007 problem is at the moment, the sick stay at home and there aren’t enough healthy staff to replace them.
I am in Australia, after years of lockdowns and restrictions on surgery, we now have the double whammy of increased surgery to catch up on waiting lists, but also increased sick leave.
Children are back at school and are bringing it home, whole households are isolating.
Staff who test negative still come to work, but generally test positive a few days after their children.
The general population are back to work and socialising and I don’t think they are aware of the impact.
Staff are burning out but can’t take leave as there is no one to replace them.
I don’t know the answer either.

I hear you…and while I understand the need to put out WhatsApps for staffing it’s constant, begging for staff to come in almost everyday and contributing towards burnout.
I love my job but need days off from crappily staffed shifts to actually see my kids and relax!

It’s so draining

The constant rota changes, the covering shifts, the changing of activities held for patients, the rearranging appointments/meetings, dealing with patients frustration as their progress is held back

We need extra staff because of this but have less staff than ever

The question has been raised in our hospital about using health assistants ( basically second and third year student nurses) to help with hygiene and meal assistance.
I last remember using health assistants in the 1980’s. Maybe that will help, rather than just increasing patient numbers.
We have been spoiled by having mandated staff to patient ratios in recent years.
It is not going to stop the burnout though.
I seriously thought about retirement this week, even though I am 10 years off pension age and still have a mortgage.