To want to work for the NHS

[alienbaby]

I know it's hard and stressful with insane hours but whenever I have been in a hospital its seems like staff have amazing camaraderie. Its like they are their own family or community. Do people who work for the NHS feel that way?

@WrinklesShminkles

In my experience the NHS is a closed shop so you probably won't get a job in it anyway.

I’ve never read anything so ridiculous in my life!

I’ve worked in the NHS for 30 years, in 15 different settings.
It’s hard work and we are slated by the media on a daily basis, but there is definitely camaraderie. Of course I’ve met some lazy/nasty/bossy people along the way, but the vast majority have been great.
I’m in my 50s now, but I have very fond memories of my junior doctor years, being up all night with colleagues, grabbing a coffee together at 3am, and still all managing to pile into the pub the following night.
The work is demanding and emotionally challenging at times, but I think that makes the bonds between employees stronger.

OT is great with so many options. Teams vary but we have a lovely close knit bunch at present. One of our assistants is from Italy and had not been home since start of Covid. She says we are her family.

I've worked in the NHS all my life snd all those years ago I trained as a nurse because I was attracted to the sense of team work and comradarie as well.

Other than your own family, you will never find a better sense of family and pulling together towards a common goal - the patient - regardless of whether you're clinical or office based.

Good luck.

I love my job and it does feel like a family.

But right now we are drowning. The workload is beyond unmanageable and the stress is making me physically unwell. I work every day including weekends, and I work before my working hours start and for several hours after. We just get further behind, and I see more dc not getting the care I want them to have.

I don't see a solution and it feels hopeless. My family have asked me to consider private practice as my job is really impacting our family life.

I can't really recommend the NHS as an employer right now.

The way clinical staff used to phone labs and bark at us, didn’t really leave a good impression about their arrogant personalities either.

The NHS has a hierarchical problem. As soon as your band changes, many people become arrogant and start talking down to colleagues. Its a massive problem, well known within the NHS. At induction they tell you that just because someone is a lower band, they shouldn’t be afraid to tell a higher band the mistakes they’re making.

I love the NHS, I am so grateful for everything they did for my Dad. But there are bad seeds scattered everywhere who have settled and are making life difficult for others.

Most of my colleagues are lovely but absolutely agree with pp, it’s shared trauma. I’m lucky to have great managers but sometimes their hands are tied.
I love my job but I’m not sure that I would recommend it or if I would do it again if I could go back in time. These past two years have caused me and many others to seek support for ptsd.

@OhPeeQueue

Yeah, I singled out and aimed my comment (that was based on my own experience) specifically at *@ChocolateDeficitDisorder* ‘s husband. 🤪

@Peccary sounds like we worked in the same place. Wonder which city you worked in?

In a big one starting with M, not biomedical sciences though.

I work in industry now, much better

I adore nursing in the NHS.
I think the camaraderie is just amazing. 'The craic' is always flowing. No matter how deep you are all in the shite (sometimes literally), it's still the best job, with the best people, ever.
And I don't know why but we have the loveliest patients too. Probably 1 in 100 is a bit off, but otherwise all so lovely, and grateful, and just praising us-embarrassing!
I hate that people always say don't do it when people are thinking of nursing. Do it!!! Nurses told me the same 30 years ago, so glad I didn't listen.
I'd work for free if I was unemployed as I just love it so much.
Middle management needs to be reduced by 80%. Total waste of money.

Nope. Run Forest run.

You know those families where lots of people sit around and let certain people do all the work? That's the NHS family.

I would not go back. I'd do anything else, and have - clean toilets, call-centre.

The pay is crap too, and the conditions are horrific if you are one of those who does all the work. Private healthcare is a lot better (sometimes worse pay/pension, but better conditions and fewer skivers).

Since covid, being out of healthcare completely has been a life-changing relief.

Yep, the ones who phone it in piss you off so much. I used to work with a right lazy bugger but his dw was a manager so no one said anything.

Embarrassing for her because we all used to talk about him.

I love the job and I’ve made some great friends but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone right now. We’re all burnt out and tired. We have a huge staffing crisis. Never see management. If I could win the lottery and give it up I would. I haven’t been able to carry out my actual role (moved away from clinical) almost two years now.

I worked for the NHS for 14 months including during the pandemic and all lockdowns. I wouldn’t recommend. Turn round and run. Don’t do it.

I would say it all depends on the position you're going to work in. My husband has recently given up a highly paid yet stressful job that he once loved but it became too much. He is now working in the NHS at minimum wage (thankfully we can afford this) he loves this job, I love that he took the jump as it has improved all aspects of life. We are not a high income couple either.

NHS. My team are fantastic and we really look out for each other.
However, the wider system is just stretched so thin.

The toll the pandemic has taken is enormous on staff. So many good people have resigned. The patients and their families are getting more and more demanding.

We've just launched another zero tolerance policy on verbal and physical abuse towards staff because the instances are rising and rising.

I also hate the fact that I as a clinician can be held responsible for systemic issues e.g Bawa Garba/ David Sellu.

Quite frankly I'm plotting how quickly I can retire (for context I'm mid 40s).

It really depends on your team. My experience has been mixed. I was treated awfully as admin; overworked, underpaid and bullied by my manager, but as a newly qualified clinician I'm in a wonderful team and fully supported. Very trust dependent too, each has its own ethos. We're all regularly shook up by government changes and higher managerial decisions that cause stress, it sure is shared trauma at times. You certainly don't do it for the wage! There is still a level if pride though saying "I work for the NHS".

100 % my second family the only thing besides I love the patients holding me in. I'm clinical but include our admin in our family too. In fact they are our backbone holding us up

I work for the ambulance service non clinical and I love it, yes we are a family and I would agree that you do bond over trauma but you have to support eachother. Our trust is very supportive and the perks are really good.

The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world. There are hundreds of different job roles. There are good managers and bad ones. There are fab colleagues and people you would best avoid. You will get the whole range of experiences.

Personally I love my job and get huge job satisfaction. Yes there is pressure, yes the last 22 months have been the most extreme and the hardest of my long career, but I won't be leaving anytime soon.

No. Some wards the staff are lovely. On others cliquey and unfriendly. Also rubbish pay and no perks.

Just reading this thread having verbally accepted a part time role as a Band 2 admin assistant on a post natal ward. Maybe I’m making a very wrong decision reading these comments.