Healthcare Workers Unite - All nurses, HCA's, Students, Midwifes etc WELCOME

[luvbunsazzle]

I do 12.5 hour shifts, with the intention of a 1 hour break in there somewhere, but breaks are like gold dust on my ward, contracted for 160 hours per
month, usually end up doing somewhere in the region of 230ish.

We're a 15 bed plus seclusion suite psychiatric I tensive care unit, staffing can range from 1RMN + 2 NA's right upto about 3 RMN's and about 20 NA's depending on the patients, their risk to themselves and or others. It took a long time to get into the shifts, they are physically and mentally exhausting but I still go back every shift!

My sister was a pation in the Psychiatric ICU so i know how hard it must be for you to work it.


Sounds like everyone is super busy, which i am also, love it this way though, and the shift goes so quickly.

 

[babybear]

I only work part time (27 hrs a week) but most of that is on my feet either running around like an idiot or stood still for hours at a time scrubbed at the operating table.
Don't tend to get much time to sit down even when scrubbed because of the heights the surgeons are working at. Plus we have some real staffing issues right now. 1 nurse and one HCA in a theatre

 

[Sushai]

Hey gals,

2nd week is completed. I learnt heaps this week. I got taught how to remove a cannula, IDC and IVC, woohoo! Im must sound real pathetic to all you girls, but i cant help but get excited over learning new things. I like having to get off making beds and onto other stuff. Honestly, I never knew making so many beds could wear me out the way it has. But i guess I gotta start somewhere.

Hope you've all had a great week also! Its time to put up our feet and relax (well, for those of us not working on the weekend).

 

[Blah11]

:wave: Hey guys. I work for NHS lothian as a 'general acute health care assistant/ward clerk' LOL I work in a geriatric ortho rehab ward. We've 30 patients at the moment (4x6bed bays and 6 side rooms) but hoping to get it back down to 24 patients soon as our winter beds are still open I don't mind my job but have absolutely no desire to do a general nursing degree. Contemplating MW degree in the future.

 

[orange-sox]

Hi everyone!

So who's working this weekend? I am, as of today, i'm doing 3 nights on, 2 off, 3 on and so forth... Thank god you get more money for nights, and even more for weekends!

So I'm spending today snoozing and feeling a bit sorry for myself lol!

 

[babybear]

i only work 1 weekend in 4 and don't do nights. . I do miss the pay I got from them though

 

[Blah11]

i dont do shift work i do 7.15-1.15 mon-fri.

 

[netty]

Hi everyone

I am a nurse practitioner working in a doctors surgery
I work 30.5 hours a week
830 - 430 4 days a week. No weekends

I used to work as a night sister until i had my oldest but have been in the drs for 7 years now.

Whats the funniest thing or grossest thing happen to you?

 

[MandaAnda]

I just saw this group.

I'm a RN (Child Branch) and work on NICU/SCBU. I'll be going back to work in September, and even though I'd rather stay home with Jack, I can't ask for a better department to go back to, as NICUs tend to be so pro-BF'ing. I get to use a double pump (hospital grade) and steriliser there at work.

I tend to work long days (12ish hours) and nights (when I have to).

As for gross things, I've had a baby projectile poo while I was changing his nappy - all on his clothes, the linen, the cot and on me! Thank goodness a new set of scrubs was only one change room away!

 

[orange-sox]

There are a fair few sights I have seen that are a bit puke inducing, but these two stick in my mind - a secluded patient wriggling around on the floor naked, might not sound bad, it was the point where the smell of fecal matter hit me like a wall, that I realised our patient was rolling around in shit while masturbating!

A close second to this is seeing a patient vomit on the floor, before I could open my mouth to tell them to leave it and I'll get a spill kit, they'd knelt down like a dog and started lapping it up! Urgh!!!

The vomit/faeces incidents are more uncommon and horrible to me and therefore stick in my mind because I deal with slit wrists, swallowing batteries and ligatures all day long I my job, that said when someone has ligatured so tight that their eyeballs bulge and they're fighting with you while you're trying to cut it off it is a pretty disturbing sight to see!

 

[MandaAnda]

And people tell me that it must take a special person to do children's nursing. I don't think so, as I love it. I think you've got to be a lot more special to do mental health and even care of the elderly. I don't have it in me to do either! So, my hat off to you!

 

[Panda_Ally]

Can I join??

I'm a 2nd yearnursing student, I should be nearly qualifing but i took 10 months maternity leave when i had holly!

I've just finished my final block of theory for this year and then start on a cardiac sugrery ward on thurs and im absolutly bricking it!!! I've had loads of clinic/ GP practice experience recently but havent been on a hospital word in over 2 years and NEVER been on a surgical ward!!! EEK!!!!

I love the job tho!! xx

 

[trumpetbum]

I'm a student nurse for another 12 weeks then I'm done, I'm on a great community placement!!!! I was going to take mat leave but have decided to finish and graduate with my friends. I will still take six months unpaid off when I qualify though, I'm also an auxiliary nurse, I work on the nurse bank, wherever they send me basically. It varies from labour suite this week to paeds, to a variety of adult wards in a few different hospitals.

 

[Panda_Ally]

I loved my community placement! I think its a lovely way to work. I was going to start as an auxillary on nhs bank but i really would prefer the time off rather than the extra money, but thats just me!!

 

[Jellybean2009]

I'm a HCA in my local hospital, I have worked in the operating theatres for 7 years now and now work in day surgery and wards

 

[Panda_Ally]

Hi everyone

I am a nurse practitioner working in a doctors surgery
I work 30.5 hours a week
830 - 430 4 days a week. No weekends

I used to work as a night sister until i had my oldest but have been in the drs for 7 years now.

Whats the funniest thing or grossest thing happen to you?

Funniest (and grossest) thing that happened to meis, i was hoisting a gentleman on to his bed, he was wearing a open backed hospital grown and just as we were moving him he had a bowel movement... My foot was in the wrong place and it went all over my shoes and trouser leg

 

[Jellybean2009]

I have a list as long as your arm of the funniest and grossest things ive seen or happened to me

Where shall i start hummmmm lol

 

[babybear]

Grossest thing so far has to be being handed an eye ball and nerve on the end of an artery clamp while early days pregnant and feeling like poop already.

Lots of nasty smelling abcesses and necrotic bowels too...

 

[babybear]

Can I join??

I'm a 2nd yearnursing student, I should be nearly qualifing but i took 10 months maternity leave when i had holly!

I've just finished my final block of theory for this year and then start on a cardiac sugrery ward on thurs and im absolutly bricking it!!! I've had loads of clinic/ GP practice experience recently but havent been on a hospital word in over 2 years and NEVER been on a surgical ward!!! EEK!!!!

I love the job tho!! xx

I did very little medicine and no clinics while I was training. I think they were training me to be a surgical nurse.

 

[EmmaDueInFeb]

Hey, sorry to jump into your thread as I'm not a medical professional, however I've applied to complete a Human Biology Higher this year with the hope of doing a MW degree starting next year....my question is, is it possible with 2 small children, or am I nuts ???