I have a love/hate relationship with my job at the best of times, but have just come off of one of the worst stretches I've ever had at work and need to vent:

I'm a Respiratory Therapist -- work in a hospital. This stretch started with 2 12-hr-shifts last weekend, went in to help out on my day off, 2 more 12's, an 8-turned-to-10, then 3 hrs today (supposed to be a day off) troubleshooting QC issues with the PFT equipment. Stayed over on all my 12-hr days, too, getting paperwork done because there was no time while I was managing the patient-load. I cannot believe how sick the citizens of this community are!!!

I'll understand if no one even reads this, never mind wanting to respond. But I'd love to hear what your work experience is like so I can either quit feeling sorry for myself, or get some ideas for seeking a new profession.  

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"...on a placid island...in the midst of black seas of infinity..." H.P. Lovecraft

Hey Lizzie,  can sympathize  with you completely.  Have been an orthonurse for too many years.  After working over a decade in the hospital setting, changed to a clinic setting.   WOW!!!  Remember the days when your goal was to make a patient better?  My job now adays seems only to be a servant to demanding, rude, just plain mean people.   I know this sounds bitter, but honestly, I love to help people and really enjoy knowing that I helped in their recovery.  Hang in there hun!!!   When you least expect it,  someone will tell you how you changed/saved their life!  Sincerely,  Chasgrl  PS  Am I crazy, or is Jerrry Cantrell the greatest thing you've ever seen or what!!!

Hey Lizzie,  can sympathize  with you completely.  Have been an orthonurse for too many years.  After working over a decade in the hospital setting, changed to a clinic setting.   WOW!!!  Remember the days when your goal was to make a patient better?  My job now adays seems only to be a servant to demanding, rude, just plain mean people.   I know this sounds bitter, but honestly, I love to help people and really enjoy knowing that I helped in their recovery.  Hang in there hun!!!   When you least expect it,  someone will tell you how you changed/saved their life!  Sincerely,  Chasgrl  PS  Am I crazy, or is Jerrry Cantrell the greatest thing you've ever seen or what!!!

I too have a love hate relationship with my job.  I am a receptionist/assistant to the contact lense specialist at an opthalmology office.  Some days it is surprisingly rewarding. Like when a patient brings us flowers or food after they had surgery, or when some little old lady just has to show me a picture of her grandson.  That makes me feel like I did affect their lives in some way.  But then again, working with contacts means you are working with some really vain people (not that all contact wearers are), and that can be really stressful. and other patients make you feel like crap, when you ask how they are doing and their response is their name, because i am apparently too worthless to make conversation with. and again, i work for one doctor, who seems like the most caring person i have ever met.  he takes so much time on each patient, and really goes beyond his duty.  Then I work for another one, who i think is the most childish man on the face of the earth, and his patients often leave saying they never want to see him again.

chasgrl:

PS  Am I crazy, or is Jerrry Cantrell the greatest thing you've ever seen or what!!!

You can underline this, bold it, put it in italics and add several more exclamation points -- it still wouldn't be emphatic enough!

Thanks for your support. I'd say that we must work in the same hospital, but you changed to a clinic. That's better, eh? My clientele is every bit as grumpy. Pain can make people act like total jerks, and waiting for a thank you will have you in suspense for a long time. Add the fear that goes along with feeling like you can't breathe. That level of anxiety doesn't lead to good behavior, either. Most days I leave work physically and emotionally spent.

I shouldn't be so negative, though. Its just so busy all the time. But knowing what I do for people is hugely gratifying. And there are some who do acknowledge it. Like when the frequent flyers come in and they're just so glad to see me. Or when they pat my hand and are all concerned because I look tired or something. And my favorite is when I get to do the outpatient diagnostic testing. I love interacting on that level instead of rushing around because I need to be 3 places at once.

There are equal parts "love" to offset the "hate", at least at this point. I do think its getting harder to survive in the healthcare setting, though. You hang in there, too!

Lizzie

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"...on a placid island...in the midst of black seas of infinity..." H.P. Lovecraft

Ozy,     I can ditto most of what you said up there. Especially about the doctors. Some of them are just a kick to work with. Then there are the others. It's hard to believe how arrogant and condescending they can be. If they deign to respond to you at all they're looking down their nose and come up with the most hurtful thing they can think of. Even the nice ones sometimes seem like they think their time is more important than anyone else's. I know they're stressed out and tired, too, but there's no call for someone to be that rude.

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"...on a placid island...in the midst of black seas of infinity..." H.P. Lovecraft

I hate my job most of the time...I'm hoping to change that soon though.

I started a new job and now I don't hate it anymore. Wee!

Congratulations on the new job!   I hope it turns out to be a positive change long term. What do you do?

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"...on a placid island...in the midst of black seas of infinity..." H.P. Lovecraft

it's not a new job, but i'm going back to school in hopes of getting a new job. That's what I meant. i.e. I still have to talk to fucking retarded customers on the phone for 7 hours/day. I hate them all. :)

Doesn't sound very gratifying -- glad you get to go back to school, then. Wish I could. Can't find the time or the money. Trying to keep my daughter in private school, and now my son is getting ready to go to college (and I thought high school tuition was bad!). Have to work too much just to make these ends meet -- guess I'll have to wait...

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"...on a placid island...in the midst of black seas of infinity..." H.P. Lovecraft

I have a love/hate relationship with my job...leaning heavily toward hate. I'm a pharmacy technician for a nationally known retail pharmacy. I like helping people, but at the same time, people's attitudes suck ass! I'm a nice person - I'm a very caring and giving person. I love helping others, but a majority of people don't care, don't appreciate anything we do for them, and don't have a problem threatening your life over any little thing. I especially hate it that people come in and expect everything to work just like ordering a burger at McDonalds. It isn't fast food! Their lives are at stake! We take an extra minute or two to make sure their medication is right and people hate us for it. Awesome, huh?

I'm starting to think anything health care related sucks these days. I don't know if you read my starting post or the replys to chasgrl and ozy, but if so you know I can completely empathize with what you're saying!

And thanks for the input. I was totally fascinated by the pharmacology stuff I had to learn in RT school, and have always thought I might go back to become a pharmacist some day. I actually checked into it at one point, but they no longer have Masters programs -- they make you get a PhD and I just haven't had the time, energy or money to do such a thing!

Sounds like it would be just as bad as the rest of it, though. I'm sure everyone at your site is just as stressed out, eh?  People seem to feel more and more entitled, and we're definately an immediate gratification society. I hear you on the McDonalds thing.

Oh well, another idea that probably would never have been realized anyway. On the brighter side, they just approved more hours for my department since we've been running at well over 150% productivity for almost a year. My boss is going to create a position for me:  Procedure Girl.  I'll just do the outpatient diagnostics, and help the floor therapists when I don't have any tests scheduled! It'll mean a lot more paperwork, but I'm pretty much turning cartwheels about the situation!

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"...on a placid island...in the midst of black seas of infinity..." H.P. Lovecraft

Oh yes...I definitely feel you guy's pain! It is interesting, I'll admit to that too. As we all say in the pharmacy at my store, "This job would be so much easier if the phone wasn't constantly ringing and customers were constantly hounding us in person." Seriously, if people just had a little more common courtesy and were more understanding, it'd be a great job! I thought about becoming a pharmacist when I first started working in the pharmacy department, but then I had to deal with the people and it wiped out any desire to become a pharmacist. If they're treating me this badly as a technician, they could be even worse to me as a pharmacist. Don't get me wrong. Not all customers are horrible, but the amount that are terrible outweigh the customers who are not. I'm actually surprised that today wasn't the day that I walked out and/or had a complete mental breakdown at work. We converted all of our operating systems over to the new systems (my company was bought out by a bigger pharmacy...yay?) We are all now believers in the power of coffee and donuts. *Laughs!*

CrimsonAzure:

Oh yes...I definitely feel you guy's pain! It is interesting, I'll admit to that too. As we all say in the pharmacy at my store, "This job would be so much easier if the phone wasn't constantly ringing and customers were constantly hounding us in person." Seriously, if people just had a little more common courtesy and were more understanding, it'd be a great job! I thought about becoming a pharmacist when I first started working in the pharmacy department, but then I had to deal with the people and it wiped out any desire to become a pharmacist. If they're treating me this badly as a technician, they could be even worse to me as a pharmacist. Don't get me wrong. Not all customers are horrible, but the amount that are terrible outweigh the customers who are not. I'm actually surprised that today wasn't the day that I walked out and/or had a complete mental breakdown at work. We converted all of our operating systems over to the new systems (my company was bought out by a bigger pharmacy...yay?) We are all now believers in the power of coffee and donuts. *Laughs!*

 

I disagree....most customers ARE horrible...at least in my experience :) My dad was a pharmacist for over 21 years. I can't believe he put up with that shit. I dream about answering my work phone..that's how bad it is. lol