(no subject)
I have an old Friend who has struggled with her concept of me, since I went back to work as a mental health nurse. Like most of us, she has been depressed, and her experience of the service was plainly not a good one. I had to say to her last week 'look, nurses are not the enemy' - we are the service; human beings with failings, who certainly don't have all the answers, but we do try.
And since she found out that my husband is a mental health manager, she has been decidedly confused about us. Management must be really bad! (Actually,he does an amazing job, holding together the remnants of a failing service, fighting off the unreal demands of the government, arguing with the doctors, etc)
I restrained myself from pointing out that no manager (in the health service) who becomes depressed ever works again; they just have to cope, sometimes for years, until they find a way to resolve it, if they want to carry on working. Doctors can be depressed, theres a mechanism in place to help them. Ordinary nurses can be depressed and seek help; that can be overcome. (I'm the exception to this, being married to the management; my intermittent depression would damage his career if I ever sought professional help) but managers can't (I have never known one who was allowed to continue working, if stress overcame them), and nurse tutors usually find themselves permanently unemployed too.
haha, the caring professions!
Last night after Meeting, she joined me and another, only to find that we were bemoaning the litigious society that we live in, now.
Ooops.
Yes, my husband is the one who deals with the complaints, disciplinaries, etc; but thats part of keeping us a half-way good service - he isn't just blocking legitimate claims. I realised all over again that I'd been wasting my breath, when I'd explained that we are actually often the patients' best advocates, and not people who are somehow politically incorrect.
I give up!
love and blessed be
xxx
And since she found out that my husband is a mental health manager, she has been decidedly confused about us. Management must be really bad! (Actually,he does an amazing job, holding together the remnants of a failing service, fighting off the unreal demands of the government, arguing with the doctors, etc)
I restrained myself from pointing out that no manager (in the health service) who becomes depressed ever works again; they just have to cope, sometimes for years, until they find a way to resolve it, if they want to carry on working. Doctors can be depressed, theres a mechanism in place to help them. Ordinary nurses can be depressed and seek help; that can be overcome. (I'm the exception to this, being married to the management; my intermittent depression would damage his career if I ever sought professional help) but managers can't (I have never known one who was allowed to continue working, if stress overcame them), and nurse tutors usually find themselves permanently unemployed too.
haha, the caring professions!
Last night after Meeting, she joined me and another, only to find that we were bemoaning the litigious society that we live in, now.
Ooops.
Yes, my husband is the one who deals with the complaints, disciplinaries, etc; but thats part of keeping us a half-way good service - he isn't just blocking legitimate claims. I realised all over again that I'd been wasting my breath, when I'd explained that we are actually often the patients' best advocates, and not people who are somehow politically incorrect.
I give up!
love and blessed be
xxx