Thursday 7 October 2010

Do they think we are mad?

What the hell goes on in an NHS managers mind? First they tell us that jobs in Scotland will be cut including Nursing jobs and now NHS Grampian have come up with this little scheme.
What makes them think that nurses will work a full shift for nothing? We already work extra (unpaid) hours to make sure that everything is complete before we go off shift and I very rarely see anyone getting their time back. So now they decide to make us work another 12 hours unpaid. Never mind that this involves transport costs, childminding costs and any other costs that are involved in going to work. They then play the guilt card, "if you don't do this then nurses will lose their jobs" - you have already told us that nurses are going to lose their jobs anyway you dipshits.
And of course, how many nurses get a break or a full lunch time? How many managers get a full lunchtime?
I wonder though........? Perhaps this is a sneaky way to reduce the pension deficit in the NHS. It is well known that long shifts and no breaks are bad for your health so perhaps they are trying to kill us all off so they don't have to pay us a pension.
As Nurse Anne over at Militant Medical Nurse would no doubt say - Bastards!!

20 comments:

Doctor Zorro said...

Nothing short of exploitation. There is a term for being forced to work without pay. It is called slavery.
Still at least they are giving an extra 15 min break to compensate. But since that too is unpaid they are actually giving you time which is yours in the first place. Truly unbelievable that they think they will get away with this.

Anonymous said...

It is not very often I am left speechless, but this has done the job. We will end up leaving in droves and working for the agencies they are so desperate to rid themselves of.
If such large amounts of monies need to be saved, how about board members and high paid clinicians donating one days salary!!!

Anonymous said...

I am even more convinced that I was lucky to train in the 50s-60s.
I know you don't agree with me about the type of training then, but everything ran very smoothly. We had only two fully trained nurses on most wards, but, there were fully staffed wards and no untrained personel involved in direct patient care, the most junior student nurse had at least 3 months intensive training in the PTS before they were let loose on the wards.It was hard work and long hours (48 hour week when I started), but we usually got our meal breaks (unpaid of course!)and our orders came from senior nursing staff not bureaucrats and the staff all wanted to be nurses, none of them were "just filling in" as a carer until "something better turned up.

Nurse Anne said...

I wish I trained in your day Granny.

My godmother is also a Nurse. She retired in the late 70's. She said it was great back then. The patients weren't as ill/complicated, the hospital was well run. The patients were in longer and you got to know them. She said that they even had time to put curlers in the patients hair and make them look all pretty. The matrons were clinically active and actually cared.

She currently volunteers in a hospital in America and she says she would rather eat shit then be a staff nurse these days.

I need a bloody time machine.

hyperCRYPTICal said...

It is said that rats leave a sinking ship, but it would appear that at NHS Grampian the rats are at the helm. To stop their boat sinking they are throwing staff moral overboard.

I think that there must be something wrong with me, as I cannot figure out why there is such a big budget to cover agency nursing in the NHS. Why don't they use this money to employ their own nursing staff? The reason is probably so simple - but I just can't see it!

I have a freind who works in a hospital. He reports that 'Infection Control Headquarters' are well over staffed and thumb-twiddling and coffee drinking is the norm in an effort to overcome boredom. But his job is safe as it is 'important'! Not his definition of his status - the hospitals!

Do you think the management have devised a cunning plan where nurses will be employed on a voluntary basis eventually? Just travelling costs paid perhaps?

Hang on in there GrumpyRN!

Anna :o]

Grumpy Old Ken said...

Occasionally, just occasionally I'm glad I'm bloody old and past it all!

GrumpyRN said...

Dr. Zorro, you are right, I can not see how the management can force someone to work for nothing.

Granny Anne, actually I dont disagree with you, after all these are the people who trained me. I too remember fully staffed wards with time to talk to patients. I don't ever remember not getting a break I was supposed to have. But this nonsense is just pathetic and would not be tolerated in industry. I was discussing this with one of my managers and she attempted to give a bit of justification by trying to point out that perhaps it was a change of shift system which management can do. But the 90 days spoken of sounds to me like a change of conditions.

Nurse Anne, when I was training someone did ask if I knew how to put in curlers as that was part of the nurse duties at that time. Luckily, being male I never worked on a female ward so it was academic. I missed the matrons but I am not sure they were a good thing. From the cuture that was left when I started there was a lot of petty minded nonsense with very little done that had an evidence base - it is done this way because sister wants it done this way.

Hypercritical, I agree, if they have the money why not spend it on permanent staff?

Ken, you may be past it mate but as you know you and I still need nurses. Having recently been in hospital (again) for another fairly serious illness I do not want to rely on a nurse who is,
a) tired because she has done too many shifts, and
b) pissed off because management treat him/her like shit
- this leads to mistakes.

the a&e charge nurse said...

'Do they think we are mad' - not in the main, Grumpy, although one or two of us might be, no, I think the problem is that we (as a profession) have been collectively weak and ineffective in righting the many wrongs we have ALL been moaning about for so long.

If the nursing unions got their shit together we could make clear that enough is enough - but both they and their membership haven't got wherewithall to make it happen?

midwest woman said...

off post but glad to see you take on the mean boys at MDOD....your ability to stay above their vitrol was amazing and refreshing.

midwest woman said...

Off post but glad to see you take on the mean boys at MDOD..your ability to rise above their vitrol was amazing and refreshing.

911DOC said...

This is SO on the money!

Anonymous said...

Dumb-founded but, when I think about it, not suprised. I've had a brain wave though, the managers and Trust members could get off their behinds and do those jobs which take up a nurse's (or midwife's) time but don't require a 3 year training.

First aid supplies said...

I must say that they are doing very tough job but the still humans and also deserve some rest.

bryboy said...

Hello Grumps...you have opened up a whole new world for me by commenting on my blog. I will listen and learn.

GAB said...

Dont know if you celebrate it or not but MERRY CHRISTMAS

Eliza said...

Thats my thought exactly, work us as hard for as long as possible and hopefully we'll never need a pension!

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Ahn Wan said...

Dear Grumpy:
I would like to know your thinking about the American health care system and the coming changes.
I left hospital nursing 14 years ago. We often did not have time to eat. Sometimes we didn't have time to pee. I guess that makes the lack of food and water more convenient.
Ahn

Anonymous said...

The chap is absolutely just, and there is no question.
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