Would I be unreasonable to not accept healthcare work?

[FarOutandLoud]

I'm expecting to get torn apart by this.
I am a supply teacher. No experience in healthcare etc.
My agency conducted a survey last week asking if there are other sectors we'd be interesting in working in as teaching is obviously unlikely,
At the time, i ticked carer and support worker and nursery assistant,
However on second thoughts, I wouldnt feel comfortable. I have no experience and I live with my 7 and 8 year old sisters who i am homeschooling, and a dad who has health problems,
Maybe i'm selfish that I dont feel confident putting myself at the front of it all.
I am helping my elderly next door neighbors with their shopping but other than that, i have savings and i am being productive teaching at home,

I'm just feeling so much anxiety incase they ring.

You are doing everything you can, please don't feel guilty about not being able to do more.

No, actually I think you should help if you can. It doesn't need to be full-time, but even one day a week would be helpful.

As long as you don't expect any help from healthcare workers if your sisters of dad get sick, YANBU.

Because you see, I also have a family too. And while I chose to go into nursing I did not choose to do so with the lack of appropriate supplies I have for caring for Covid patients, but here we are.

Your post is very 'I want someone else to take all the risks while I'm in my bubble' and you're right - it is selfish.

I'm in the same position as you @JaneTheVirgin, but it's a bit harsh to call OP selfish in this situation. No one is physically forcing us to go to work (yet), we have a choice to carry on turning up, though I am also starting to have some doubts!

Dont do it if you not cut out for it, why did you tick it in the 1st place.

No-one is physically forcing OP either, it's a choice. I would be being selfish if I chose not to work right now. I'm needed.

My first sentence wasnt being harsh, I mean it genuinely. We need new HCAs/carers and support workers to do some of the work on the units to free experienced staff and RNs up to do the work they are trained to do. Otherwise we genuinely may get to point where there is not enough staff to help out with OPs family and others when they need it.

Of course she shouldn't be forced - no one should, and they would be the last people we want in our hospitals. But we all need to pull ourselves up and help those who need it because the alternative doesn't bare thinking about.

Being a health care worker isn't for everyone

Most people don't actually understand how awful and hard it can be at times

I don’t think your being unreasonable, it’s personal choice after all.
I was due to start a new healthcare job just as we entered lockdown, obviously childcare went out the window and dp has just been furloughed a few days ago.
I intend to get back in touch with the manager and find out if they have ppe yet and if they do I will offer myself as bank for my area to go wherever required when needed, I will only agree though if/when they have ppe as there’s 5 of us and not much space at home to self isolate so I’d want to minimise that risk as much as poss to the rest of my family.

I would say you are already doing your bit. Wait and see how things settle down. Care work is not for those who’s heart isn’t in it. - I mean that in the nicest possible way.

You're a teacher with no experience in healthcare.

YANBU if you don't want to do it or don't feel capable.

As long as you don't expect any help from healthcare workers if your sisters of dad get sick, YANBU.

Utter rubbish ^^

You've every right to expect healthcare if you've paid your NI contributions, the same as anyone else.

• As long as you don't expect any help from healthcare workers if your sisters of dad get sick, YANBU.•

Surely this is like saying ‘don’t expect us to educate your child if you’re not a teacher, TA or parent helper yourself?’ madness.

OP, YANBU. To be honest, I think that people who feel anxious in a healthcare environment are exactly the people we don’t need at the moment. Do not feel guilty- sounds like you’ve got enough on your plate at home right now. If you do want to help, you could sign up to the NHS volunteer scheme as a driver to telephone support person? I’ve signed up for the phone option- though I know lots of others have too, so I guess the chances are that I won’t be used at all.

@WorraLiberty @PatchworkElmer

You are not getting it. It's not about who is entitled or who deserves care. It is that we very much could get to the point WHERE THERE ISNT THE STAFF. Not staff choosing not to help, but the numbers not being available.

That's why everyone should be helping. Talking about NI contributions as if that magically brings in the additional staff is naive.

If you're not trained or skilled in it, maybe YANBU. But saying you'll do it right until there's a crisis is a bit weird IMO.

I'm usually a full-time bestselling author. I'm also qualified in pharmacy. I'm cutting my maternity leave short and abandoning my current writing projects so I can get back into a pharmacy and help out during this crisis. I would hope my coworkers felt the same way that I did, that it's our duty as HCPs to step up. You're not a trained HCP so it's not really your job. Maybe you could help by picking up work covering at a school that's still open for keyworkers instead?

Why not wait to see what is offered first.

If you are behind the scenes washing up, doing laundry, sorting, ironing, or other none contact tasks you may feel ok about them.
You might be seating 6 feet away talking to someone who needs some company.

I am fed up with the shirt hair wearing corona martyrs.
Yanbu op.
You are doing a lot more than me ( which is sod all).

I can't imagine they would expect a person with no caring experience to be caring for sick patiets who would be needing specialist care op. They may mean doing a bit of shopping for an elderly person or making them a pot of tea or something like that.

I can't imagine they would expect a person with no caring experience to be caring for sick patiets who would be needing specialist care OP has caring training, she won't be expected to carry out specialist care. There is a similar scheme in Ireland for nursery workers to do a crash course online in caring, they may not be needed but lots applied. You don't have to do it, I feel helpless in the crisis and a bit selfish too.

You are no more obliged to go and do care work than anyone else that doesn't work in the sector.

Plenty of people that do work in care don't want to do it at the moment either - especially with health concerns themselves or in their household.

It's very difficult on a societal level but in our democracy you don't have to do this work. Perhaps "they" may actually need to offer carers decent terms and conditions and pay incentives. As it is there will be furloughed people getting paid up to £2500 to do * all and some of the front line caring professions paid far far less (minimum wage sometimes - or 10p above) to work with a deadly disease that they could take home to their families.

How about they incentivise younger people such as students to work by paying them properly for the risks involved. (as the virus is less deadly for the young and healthy- although not safe of course). The money has been found for almost everyone was except the front line.

everyone else
I read on a thread on here a nurse saying that she gets no extra pay for working super long hours at the moment - just her usual part time pay - can any nurses confirm if that is true for them?

Part-time workers within the NHS get paid at their normal hourly rate for any hours worked above their contract up to 37.5 hours per week and at overtime rate above that.

I've had that email too and I didn't see it as a call to arms. Mine was before the self employed announcement and the agency will be trying to keep themselves afloat.

I assumed that the agency have contacted the local authorities and told them that they have DBS holding holders with not much to do at the moment. I don't think it will be the other way round with the care homes desperately trying to get hold of us. It will more likely than not come to nothing anyway.

Just email the agency and tell them you can't do it because you are home schooling your sisters,

Obviously yanbu.

Part time NHS worker here. We have been told to sign up to the staff bank to be paid for extra hours we work. Also apparently we will get antisocial hours pay if applicable (usual role 9-5). This may be trust dependent and some places may not have sorted it out yet.

@JaneTheVirgin ok, but why should that mean that someone who has no ‘calling’ to the vocation, who is actually scared of it, should be forced to do it? The NHS should be free at the point of use to all- not free at the point of use to my relatives if I work there, with everyone else taking their chances at the back of the queue

Are you still being paid? In that case I do think it is reasonable.