I’m sure I didn’t used to get so tired. My 40 something year old body just does not keep its’ charge as well as it used to. But it could perhaps be forgiven as it had to cope with 12 consecutive days at work with a 12 hour Sunday shift thrown in for good measure. There are well documented adverse health effects of working extended hours including: depression and anxiety; sleep quality; physical injury; coronary heart disease; and some cancers. There are also concerns about decision fatigue setting in by the end of a 12 hour shift. This has not been adequately studied, but it certainly feels true.
It’s not merely long hours that have contributed to my fatigue. The constant chaos of the NHS is draining, driving many colleagues to retire earlier than planned. I attended a Kafkaesque meeting in which the first half was spent discussing the dictat that we find ways to save money. We are provided with no data, no suggestions, no project management support. There is also zero focus on improving patient care. Just save money. The second half of the meeting was spent looking at recent staff survey outcomes which are the worst they have ever been, showing staff feel unable to provide high quality care, do not feel in control of their services, and do not feel supported in their improvement plans. We were asked to explain why we are so unhappy and what we propose to do about it!
Continue reading
drlj 