Hi fellow allnurses. I just need to get a few things off my chest right now.
Last year I had a back injury at work and went on workcover. I have two herniated discs, one of which has an annular tear. I managed the injury last year and went back to work.
A few weeks ago I went into severe spasm. I had to stay on and work for an hour and a half before I could go to ED. I was made to feel pressured into staying because of short staffing, I kept requesting relief and was being told that when so and so has their break you'll get relieved but no one came. Afterwards looking at the coordinator's list allocation I could see several ways in which I could have been relieved in a more timely fashion. I have written a complaint against this person outlining how their lack of actions has breached duty of care to me and the patient. This is being followed up but in the meantime I have to work alongside this nurse and it's all I can do not to scream at them.
When I went to ED the registrar filled out a workers comp form but did not put restrictions on it. As I was on morphine and not really coherent at the time so I didn't pick up on it. When I returned to work I was expected to work in an environment with another staff member who could not scrub so I would be standing all day. All I get is 'everyone's off sick'. I was still in pain and refused to go along with it. I told them that I felt my safety was put at risk and that I would not stay if this was not going to be rectified. I was told by the CNC to 'go home and not feel persecuted'. The DON witnessed this exchange and I went home. I rang the DON later on that day and discussed how I felt that my safety was put at risk the day of the injury in not being relieved and that it is unfair to expect myself to work short staffed after being injured. She agreed with my decision to leave and encouraged me to document the entire thing.
I then went to the GP and got a full list of restrictions. I have been on desk duty ever since. I was pulled into managements office and asked to explain my actions leaving early that day. I told them that the DON was supportive of my decision to leave as they saw the entire scenario. I told them that given I was left in an unsafe situation the day of my injury with no support whatsoever, I have no confidence in the department's ability to provide for my safety and rather than risking further injury it was best for me to leave. Obviously someone complained to management. After hearing my side of the story management have backed right off.
Anyway since then I have noticed that there is a double standard in how staff are treated. One staff member punched their refrigerator at home breaking two metacarpals yet they were immediately put on desk duty. Another staff member gets to leave early so they can look at wedding dresses with their mother. But I injure myself at work and have to stay on.
I sit at the holding bay desk fighting back tears of rage, the nurse who went wedding dress shopping came out and complained to me about having to stay an extra 15 minutes. It's all I could do not to break down. At home I feel physically sick of the thought of having to work in the OR as a scrub/scout again. I have requested to be moved to anaesthetics, an area I am really interested in and there is less manual handling, lifting and standing in one spot all day long. The nurses in charge of anaesthetics are far more supportive of their staff. I don't want to be one of 'those nurses' who you don't want to work with because of restrictions, meaning you have to do the majority of the heavy work. This puts other people at risk and we have enough people on restrictions in the department anyway.
I try not to feel depressed but I can't help it. I don't know what I'm going to do if I can't move to anaesthetics. I no longer wish to work under people who are incapable of providing for safety and treat people equally.
