Just a rant from a nurse

[Bestkindaparty]

I know there's a 101 threads about the nursing strike. But I just need an anonymous forum to rant.
I left home at 6am this morning and I'm only just getting home. I need a shower because someone threw their hot coffee over me because I didn't answer their buzzer fast enough and they needed a pillow. I didn't answer it quick enough because I was performing cpr on a child with suspected strep A. 12 hours into my shift without a break because we just don't have the staff.
All week on Facebook tiktok and other social media all I've seen is how disgusting us nurses are. How people will die because of the strikes all because we want more money.
Yes we want to paid fairly. We do not get paid enough for the training we do. 2300 hours of unpaid work and then other 3000 hours of uni. Plus all the responsibilities we have. Some people think we're just doctors assistants but its not like that anymore. But the main reason is we're tired of fearing for our pins (that we pay a yearly fee for) we're tired of not being able to care for people the way we want because there's not enough staff. The ratio is supposed to be 1 to 3. I can't remember when I've had less than 8 patients. We want to protect the NHS. We need people to join and to retain current staff who are leaving in droves due to burnout. What happens when there's none of us left?
We had no option but to strike. Nothing else has worked. We want to protect ours and everyone's future. Personally I don't want to cry on every drive to and from work because I'm scared someone will die due to me not being able to give the care they need.
If you've got this far thanks for reading

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/dec/12/decade-of-neglect-means-nhs-unable-to-tackle-care-backlog-report-says

The report commissioned by the government says that the Conservatives have caused this.

Fellow nurse here and just handed in my notice. i've had enough!! Complete career change for me...Im a very sensitive person and got attached to almost every patient i cared for. This was frowned upon in the end by management..."no time" I never got to take breaks, the NHS has become a very toxic environment to work in.
HCA's also work extremely hard and are massively underpaid.

All the best OP XX

Thank you for all that you do.

Support the nurses 100%.
Hope the coffee chucker chokes on their next cup. Least they deserve.

Hugs to you. YADNBU at all. I saw this the other day.
I’m fully in support of the Nurses’s strike!

Therapist here, ex hcsw, support you all the way.

Solidarity from another striking union member. I don't work nearly as hard as a nurse - you have my total respect. But people across the country are being worked until they are ill to line to pockets of the rich.

It can't continue. I salute your courage and the financial sacrifice of everyone like you who stands up to this.

Who the hell voted YABU!
What did the OP say that was unreasonable?
absolutely disgusting

I support you

Respect. I support you. Sounds like a shit shift - hugs.

Take care my love. You’re so appreciated by me and my family, not that it helps. But you are. Thank you and happy Christmas.

Support you 100%

Thank you for everything you do

Twelve hour shifts have become the norm because it used to be a struggle for Nurses to sometimes have to work a ten day stretch of eight hour shifts when weekends need to be covered. personally I think twelve hours are too long. At one place I worked we used to do 14.5 hour shifts because they had set night staff. However if working 12 hour shifts there are some weeks where you only have to work 3 x 12 hour days a week, sometimes 4 so plenty of time off. Articles always go on about 12 hour shifts yet conveniently forget that it allows people to work full time whilst having 3 or four full days off a week.

I'm so sorry. I feel your pain. I'm a&e and get literally forced to send pts to the wards when I haven't even been able to check then properly. Thus creating work for colleagues upstairs. One time I went on break and come back to see a pt of mine had been taken up without me knowing or the hca I was this. The patient was still on a bed pan. I was disgusted and went up there to apologise. I got called into the office and disciplined for leaving the area

@Missyc11

The shift patterns are something I’ve thought should be looked at. Here in the US the nurses can pick 8 or 12 hour shifts. Standard schedule is either 12 hour shift, 3x a week, or 5x 8 hour shifts. You can pick one time slot and training is provided based on that shift.

The person who threw coffee at you, they need an enema by a trainee and then discharged. They are clearly well enough to go home.

Fully support you. You do an amazing job. I'm a teacher and had to strike this year to save my pension. It was horrible - the guilt was awful. No one goes on strike lightly. Stick to your guns. Oh and paramedics - you are amazing too.

I don’t think the ‘no breaks’ thing will change any time soon unless people start taking their owed breaks and leaving at the end of their shift. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation but managers won’t employ more staff if the current staff take it all on without taking a stand.

Imagine any other job sector where people doing 12 shifts don’t go for a wee, have a drink or eat a sandwich. It does take strong staff to say ‘no’ and leave on time and take breaks but until they do, what will change?

Total respect from me. I was a doctor and now a teacher. I spend a lot of time defending health and education strikes; I honestly don't think some people really understand how close to total collapse the NHS is, with education following behind. Thank you for everything you do

I owe my life to a nurse who spotted signs of sepsis that a number of junior doctors missed. Thank you for what you do every day. I am so sorry that you have to put up with terrible pay and working conditions, I support the strike 100%.

We all work hard. I support you. It's about time we stood up against this sham of a government. The pandemic showed how much us ordinary Joe's are needed and how much the governments rich mates are not

You have my utmost respect and support. The NHS runs on goodwill and it’s run out. Time the bloody government got round the table.

100% support nurses striking - it’s awful that you have been put in this position that you have to strike. People on social media against nurses striking are obviously not very well versed in who has really caused this problem (Tories) and they probably are the same people who voted this f**king govt in. Keep going if you can 💪

I wish we Carers who care 24/7 without pay, holidays, nice things could strike too. £69 per 7 days and we don't complain we care from home and can never get time to ourselves. We have zero choice as the care homes are either unsuitable or full. I'm not being competitive but sometimes people are worse off. I would never have the courage to be a nurse and I wouldn't have ever chosen this life and I support you.

As someone who is unable to strike or even join a union , I support you all the way . And everyone else striking too . I see on a regular basis how tough it is for all of you and it’s obvious this decision hasn’t been taken lightly .