Shift, change.

Reading time 7 Minutes

So now it's going to be entertaining. As always, I won't mention any names. But I take the liberty of copying whole passages of text because they are necessary for understanding the overall situation.

I may be accused on the part of my nursing service that this information is not intended for the public are. Yes, that may be so. But then the nursing service management should not have forbidden me to speak in my own (!) Whatsapp group and the management should have listened to me better instead of showing me again and again and again for months in all clarity that they are not interested in me as long as the money tap is open. It has to come out somewhere. Apart from that, it has not been a secret for a long time that there is also dissatisfaction with the management in the company's own ranks. The fish stinks from the head down. Why should it be any different here?

In the end, it's just amusing to lie back and watch. Even if it is indicative of how my care service is generally organised, works and approaches problems... It is and remains entertaining.

Enough preamble, let's get on with it. If you want to read my yesterday's contribution If you haven't read the book yet, you should do so quickly in order to be able to understand the situation.

So everything started less than a year ago with shift changes at 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., which is common in the industry. That's how I had always done it. Both care services before that also had it as standard.

So, for various reasons, that was then changed to 10:00 or 22:00.

And then they changed it again at short notice, after a Whatsapp pollin which I was not involved. I mean, seriously, where is there something like that? You don't vote in the client's Whatsapp group about when you feel like coming to work in the morning. If they included me, it might be different. Nevertheless, the first thing should be to ask me. After all, I am the one who suffers when my care is interrupted every morning so that what my carers call handover can take place. I call it Drinking coffee and smokingbut that is another topic. In itself, there is no need for a reason anyway. My health insurance pays well over €300,000 a year. If I, who am a paying customer here, want a shift change at 4 a.m. and 4 p.m., I can of course be told that we don't do that. But the basis should be what I want and what has been contractually agreed. How a service provider can even come up with the idea of changing something like that over the customer's head is beyond me.

The matter is closed. The decided thing is the Change to now 9:00 h and 21:00 h

I do what I do best. I make myself unpopular with the management. I still make my opinion known and my „I told you so.“ prepare. My comment at the time, which arose out of a rather frustrated mood, was not very witty. But everyone understood it for that. Quote:

The only person who hasn't been asked is the patient who has been moaning excessively for 48 hours. Between bloodletting, panic attacks and visits to the doctor, I haven't bothered with this.

Anyway, we'd already had the earlier change. As the decision has already been made without me, I'm just asking that it doesn't have the same impact on my daily routine again. You may remember that I rarely got breakfast before 10am back then because the ND said the TD would do it. He was stuck in rush-hour traffic every morning, had to shit here first, then coffee and a cigarette for the so-called „handover“ - unfortunately the ND had to leave because it was already so late - and the highlight was when they still didn't look after me but had to eat breakfast themselves first because they had to get up so early.

I'm just saying.

While my team leader immediately apologised - I am convinced she was genuinely sorry - the head of nursing (PDL) slapped me back so hard that it rattled. Quote:

Hello Patrick,
The purpose of this staff meeting was to improve care. Unfortunately, we were aware that not everything went perfectly in the past. Nevertheless, we are constantly endeavouring to improve. We can only do this with your help, because the staff must feel just as safe and comfortable so that the process can be continuously improved. I therefore ask you to approach any problems that may arise with positive communication, as only together can we overcome them

Maybe I'm putting too much weight on this answer. But I really don't need to hear such bullshit from someone who doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. After all, he hasn't been to see me once to get a picture of my care. Because I stand by it. I think it sucks that now again every morning my supply has to be interrupted for the handover.

It didn't take long for the carers to realise that - hey, it wasn't me who said that, but employees of my care service, so for once this isn't a smart ass remark - I did say it. It turned out exactly as I said.

What follows is a storybook discussion that is unparalleled. I'll simply reproduce the best comments here unchanged and uncommented. There is nothing I could add to make it seem less absurd.

As a reminder, we are still in „my“ chat, which is intended for important nursing information. So information such as „Patient has cystitis and is receiving antibiotics“.

I have the question about working hours again.  Starting at 9 a.m. is very bad for me (I lose about 30 minutes more because of traffic jams without accidents or anything else on the way). This is still the time of the main traffic and supply, with Patrick the supply is mostly interrupted because of the handover, which is also bad. The ideal time to start would be 7.00 a.m., when there is little traffic and Patrick is usually still asleep at 7.00 a.m., so that the handover can be done in peace and Patrick gets everything from the TD more relaxed afterwards.  Now it is brighter and everyone could have more of the sun / daylight? 

Okay, I can't help it, you have to let me get away with one comment. Rush hour? Disruption of service for handover? You don't say. I told you sobut nobody listens to me.

It's far too early for me, as I need 1 hour to get to work. To get to work on time and fit, I have to leave at 5.30am and get up at 4.30am or 5am at the latest, which of course has a major impact on the quality of my sleep and a negative effect on my physical and mental state.
A chronic sleep deficit can have serious health consequences. Here are some possible negative consequences of too little sleep and waking up too early:

1. tiredness and fatigue: those who get too little sleep often feel tired and exhausted. This can affect your cognitive performance and make you less efficient in everyday life.

2. lack of concentration: People who sleep poorly often have problems concentrating. This can have a negative impact on work, school or studies.

3. mood swings: Those who sleep too little are often irritable and moody. This can affect relationships and social contacts.

4. problems with the immune system: A lack of sleep can weaken the immune system. This increases the risk of becoming ill and getting infections.

5. weight gain: People who sleep too little often have a higher BMI and are more likely to be overweight. This is because a lack of sleep can affect the metabolism and make the body want to eat more food.

6. changes in hormonal balance: Lack of sleep can affect the body's hormonal balance. This can lead to the body producing less growth hormone, which can affect the maintenance of bone and muscle mass.

7. insomnia: People who get too little sleep often have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. This can develop into insomnia, which is difficult to treat.

There is no question that sleep is an important factor for our health. So if you suffer from a lack of sleep or sleep problems, measures should be taken to remedy these problems.

please apologise but no matter what time the service starts you will be late

I can't help it. Another comment from me has to be. Short version: True. Extended version: True to about 94%. Assuming you consider 8:59 to be on time. Actually, in fairness to one's colleagues, one arrives 20-30 minutes earlier so that they can finish their shift on time after twelve hours.

Thank you [...], that's not the question right now and that means what about the time?

Good morning everyone, the only thing missing is Patrick's opinion, but his wish is actually that his supply is not interrupted, as often happens at 9am.  I'm certainly not going to drive 1.5 hours a day for my services. As just happened at 9 in TD. So I'll stop asking questions. We'll stay at 9 without stressing you any more.

I'll find a solution for myself. Have a wonderful day 

For a moment, it looked like it was about me. Unfortunately, the moment was quickly over.

Maybe 8 o'clock because 7 is too early 9 is too late?

I also think 8am is optimal

History repeating. Is it just me or didn't we already have this exactly one year ago? I don't want to say that I have said this before. But I told you so. Wink smiley.

After I've laughed enough for the moment and my carer has wiped my neck - when I laugh, I always drool all over myself - I read through the news again at my leisure. It actually says that my opinion is welcome. How? What? Where? Why all of a sudden? And anyway and anyway. I formulate an answer that I also find totally brilliant in retrospect. Unfortunately, nobody understood it. What a shame. But at least my text has one good thing. Nobody has ever managed to end a staff discussion so quickly.

This staff meeting serves the purpose of improving care. I have no objections, whatever the solution, because the staff need to feel just as safe and comfortable so that the process can be continuously improved. I am sure we will find a solution that is good for everyone, as only together can we overcome any problems that arise.

Nothing but expenses. So apparently everything remains as it is.

As if we don't have real problems here.