stressed at work

Okay, I know I should be happy that I have a job and I am it is just that I have been soooooo stressed lately. I tried to take a 3 day weekend just to give myself a little break and what happens I get called into work on Sunday for a few hours. This happened last time too and there is no real reason for it.:( I get no real support from my boss (he works from home) and the company/building I work for ( I am contracted in the building) keeps putting a lot more demands upon me then my boss is wondering why I am spending so much time there. It is kind of hard to explain. All I can say is stay away from healthcare. I have not had a good nights sleep in a very long time. I go to bed around 10 pm and wake up not later the 2am and my mind just starts racing. DH tells me maybe I don't need that much sleep and tells me to go to bed later. I try to get to work by 530/600am. Gosh I just so worn out. Well, thanks...I just needed to vent/whine.

Being a banker in a recession, I feel your pain;)

I wish I could offer a "pearl of wisdom", but unless we know your specific situation, it's hard. Search your heart, search your mind, you'll find a solution...this too will pass;)

(((solo))) I don't have much to add other than a hug. I hope it gets better soon!

((( solobiker )))

I don't know your situation well enough to offer any constructive advice, but I do hope that things improve for you somehow soon, so that you can get some "you-time" and some much-needed sleep.

let me see if I can explain it a little better. In there area of health care where I work everything is based upon "productivity" which is how many hours I spend treating patients divided by my time in the building. In my building where I work they "require" 85% productivity which for me is pretty much not achievable as I have several meetings to go to and I have a lot of other nonbillable issues to address. Lately, though no fault of my own, my patient caseload has been lower then usual due to lack of admissions...however I still have all of the other responsibilites so logically my productivity will be down slightly. I am able to keep the therapists under me at 90 or better and I am at about 75. It still is not good enough. I get those calls from my immediate boss. Then since I am contracted into the building they are always asking me to help out with "nonbillable" issues which I want to do since they are my customer and I am there to help, but then again I here it from my boss and his boss. It all comes down to #s to them and they don't see the big picture. There is a lof of other C*** too (excuse the language) Hope this makes a little more sense. It is just frustrating as it seems so top heavy (the company) as they don't generate any revenue. All they do is harp on the worker bees.:o

This is also the same company that was not completly honest with me upon my hire 1 year ago. They never mentioned having to work weekends and in my employee handbook it says that I have 6 holidays off. Well, guess what i do have to work weekends and I dont get any holidays off. :(

I can relate to the "top heavy" frustration. I answer to an administrator who tells me to "do ____ amount of work," but he doesn't have enough practical/hands-on know-how about my work to know if what he's expecting could be done in an hour or a week. Then I supervise employees, sometimes do the same work as they do, plus I have meetings & handle the big issues and a lot of other stuff that comes up that my boss should handle but isn't there to handle because he's "at a meeting" - nobody ever knows where or what for, and the owner physicians never seem too concerned about his absence.

The docs gave the administrator a job and a title, but no job description and no clue of what to expect of him. He can pretty much do no wrong, not that he really has to do anything. The employees I supervise sometimes get frustrated with me because issues take so long to get resolved, but my hands get tied trying to educate and re-educate the manager, plus juggle all the other work.

Well, hang in there. Like you said, you can't control your patient load. Don't let the ba$tard$ get to you. It's "fun" being in the middle but, yeah, at least we have jobs.

What do you do solobiker? Just wondering. It must be hard to be "productive" for the bean counters when you are in direct patient care.

Thanks for the clarification.

Every "goal" like this should be held to a S-M-A-R-T standard:

Specific
Measurable
Action Oriented
Realistic
Time Sensitive

It seems that this one passes muster - except possibly on the "Realistic" part.

My suggestion:
- confirm whether your superiors want you to do the other non-billable customer service/support items or not:

- if they do, then work with them to incorporate it into the productivity formula

- if they don't, then find a way to politely extract yourself from these activities with the customer (and it pains me to say that...but it's not your place to personally subsidize what your employer doesn't support) and then take some of the "excess productivity" from your subordinates into your schedule

It's obvious that you have a passion for excellence and doing "the right thing"...but, don't let this be a penalty for you...;)

(((solo)))

I feel for you.

And Mr. Silver, you've offered really great advice. Very specific. I agree that getting out of the non-payoff activities is key here. It's one thing to help out because you can, but it's hypocritical for them to ask this of you, then penalize you for it.

As for working weekends, is it possible to have "on-call" weekends for you and your team, so you can rotate them between you?

Is there a union or HR rep who is charged with enforcing the employee handbook? Are those holidays really a "rule" or more of a "guideline"?

Roxy

How can you be a good health care provider when you are not providing good health care to your self?

#1 priority should be time for yourself and regular sleep. I'm sorry, a job is just not worth putting your health on the line. Sometimes you have to trust the messages you are getting from the universe - and maybe those messages are saying "time for a career change." Can be scary in this econonmy but NOT impossible - take care of YOU!

Anj

You have gotten good advice here but wanted to send you a hug.

Thanks for the adivice. well the stress continues to pile on. Now there is a rumor that the company I work for may be losing the contract in the building I work in. The building I work in can't stand my boss or the company I work for. The building continues to get frustrated when I can not do things "outside my scope" of practice because of the contract and regulations. It seems like they want it both ways. The mangagement team in the building claims to say they enjoy working with me and say " you are so good" but then they treat me like.......


Sorry, I am just so overwhelmed and frustrated. I keep trying to remind myself that there is nothing I can do about it if they do get rid of the contract...it is out of my hands. Lets see how I sleep tonight:o

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Originally Posted by solobiker

Sorry, I am just so overwhelmed and frustrated. I keep trying to remind myself that there is nothing I can do about it if they do get rid of the contract...it is out of my hands. Lets see how I sleep tonight:o

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Step back and keep things in perspective:

• The nature of the customer is to put as many monkeys on your back as possible - this is a normal dynamic in outsourcing relationships (and a reason that they rarely save the 'outsourcer' money....)
• The customer is giving you kudos - maybe they'll be your advocate if they move the contract so that the new recipient will hire you as part of the transition??? Maybe you should lobby for that???

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Originally Posted by solobiker

...it is out of my hands.

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:cool::cool:I hope that it gets easier to sleep as this realization sinks in:cool::cool: Keep us posted.

Life at work is continuing to spiral down. I have spoken/emailed my bosse's boss as there has been no resolution with a lot of issues that I have brought up. Also, as I mentioned above there is chance that the company I work for may lose the contract in the building I am in because of the issues I am trying to fix without the much needed assitance from my boss. Another contract company came in and have been talking with the powers that be to take over.

Solobiker - while you try to hold onto your sanity, make sure you get out for a walk or a ride every day. And please try to clear your head of all the non-sense while you do this. I swear, taking my dog for her 20-30 minute daily walks (brisk pace) is pure therapy for me. It does help clear the cob-webs a bit. The inmates are starting to run the asylum here, but I'm plotting my escape. So I think I can feel your pain.

If this other company comes in, will that be a good thing? Or are they already there?

Well the saga continues..The company that I work for has pulled my boss out of my building (he works from home) due to personality confilcts with the upper management within my building. My "new" boss is very numbers focused which I can respect because it is a "business"..however there are quite a few unrealistic expectations. What I mean by that is I technically work for 2 different companies, the one the employes me and the building that I am contracted in. Each of them have certain expectaions and some of these expectaions are on oposite ends of the spectrum. Well I have had many stressful days and sleepless nights and have decieded to step down from this position. It is just not worth it anymore. I could never take time off without daily phone calls and issues that needed to be addressed, possible loss of thousands of dollars through no fault of my own although fingers would be pointed my way. I just hope I can stay on as a treating therapist because the staff there is great. Keep your fingers crossed for a smooth transition for me. Thanks for all the support.

I can relate to how conflicted you were over your decision, as I was in a similar situation last year. It was interesting how people felt more comfortable talking to me about potential opportunities once they learned I was a free agent and no longer at my previous company. This is as tough a time as any to make a transition, but good for you for walking away from an impossible situation!

I tend to be stubborn so I stuck it out for quite a while and the issues were not improving despite my conversations with my boss. I did this for my happiness and my health. Things should clear in a month or so I hope.

Good luck!

Best wishes for smooth sailing on the other side of this transition!

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Originally Posted by solobiker

It is just not worth it anymore.

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It's good that you're in a position to recognize this...and to do something in response.

Good Luck

Solo
I know exactly or almost where you are coming from. I also work in healthcare just a different level than you I work in a rural ER. For the last 2 years I've not been happy at work. New boss, which tries to be a friend to all instead of a boss, disciplines the whole vs. the individuals that need to be addressed as she doesn't want to hurt anyones feelings, so the issues never get resolved. The fellow co-workers are adults but act more like 12 and have no work ethics what so ever, and I finally after beating my head against the wall, and actually becoming physically ill so I couldn't go to work, I realized it was time for a new job. I just put in my 2 weeks notice last week, and not one person asked me why. I've worked there 9 1/2 years. They've posted my job already within like 4 hours but I have yet to sign papers re: my job. Yes, my new job will have less benefits, they are telling me they will pay me X amount more which may or may not be true-i'm still waiting for it in writing, and it's a whole new venture for this hospital and my working hours will be Thurs thru Sat, vs the Fri thru Sun that I work now. BUT, I had reached my limit and I am willing to take a whole new job, lose my accumulated sick and vacation time and start all over from scratch. I will be without insurance for 1 1/2 months which is my concern, COBRA is outragous btw. But one of the 2 co workers that I work with that actually work, stated, if you are happy, none of that will matter. I thought, she is so right, and made my entry into my new job brighter as that was my concern. Who knows, I may have to go crawling back to my old employer, but how do you know if you don't try.
It was so amazing to me that once I handed in my 2 weeks, it was like there was no longer any amount of annoyance from my coworkers that could bother me. Ok, some of them annoyed me when their response was "great, now I have to work some weekends again" I soooo wanted to say, TFB that's what you're obligated by policy to do, but have been getting away with not doing so because you throw temper tantrums..I just hope I don't have to go crawling back....

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Originally Posted by short cut sally

I will be without insurance for 1 1/2 months which is my concern, COBRA is outragous btw. .

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You may be able to purchase gap insurance or short term insurance that is more affordable than COBRA.

In the past year, DH was laid off and I also had to leave an impossible situation. We found it more affordable to purchase insurance on our own (we shopped at www.ehealthinsurance.com) than to sign up with COBRA -- we had been unhappy with DH's employee insurance anyway, as they had spent the previous two years terminating their contracts with many of our local health care providers.

Good luck!

NbyNW
not to hijack Solo's thread, but thanks for that information..I will check it right out. That's the biggest fear for me. I've had insurance since being employeed, have never had to use it. Seems you need insurance when you least expect it and I'm just afraid of that "what if" situation..thanks again

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Originally Posted by NbyNW

You may be able to purchase gap insurance or short term insurance that is more affordable than COBRA.

In the past year, DH was laid off and I also had to leave an impossible situation. We found it more affordable to purchase insurance on our own (we shopped at www.ehealthinsurance.com) than to sign up with COBRA -- we had been unhappy with DH's employee insurance anyway, as they had spent the previous two years terminating their contracts with many of our local health care providers.

Good luck!

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I found a good and relatively reasonable plan through that same website. It is many hundreds of dollars less than the COBRA plan that I was offered.