Living and working in fear?

[laurajacks]

Sounds a bit dramatic but r any others suffering working in an environment whereby one is encouraged to lie rather than be honest to ones patients (Ooops I mean customers/clients/ service users etc) about shortages of services and cuts and policies etc?

I am living/working under the threat that any complaining I do about cuts or hospital policies which I do not feel are in the patients interest is 'Undermining the Public's faith in the NHS and is a sackable offence'...

We are told to fob off patients who ask us about their (though I should say 'our') services and accessability when wards are being closed and little extra resources being allocated to community services.. We are all to pretend everything is wonderful... It smacks of 'Brave New World' with a good helping of '1984' thrown in... Its basically a Gagging Order.

Colleagues who at one time would've joined together to protest now cower in corners or shrug their shoulders as if helpless in the face of a powerful beurocracy.

Am I truly alone in believing a) we should not be working in conditions like this..

and b) if we united as a body we could influence and improve the way our NHS is being managed for the better for both patients and currently utterly demoralised insecure staff.

What I find hardest to take is although I am a taxpayer and user of the service I do not have the right to make my opinion/concerns heard because I am also employed by the service.

Is anyone else out there suffering like this?

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Have moved this to the UK forum.

Sorry you are going through this. Have you been in touch with the union? Is there no one else you can approach about these bullying tactics?

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

Sounds a bit dramatic but r any others suffering working in an environment whereby one is encouraged to lie rather than be honest to ones patients (Ooops I mean customers/clients/ service users etc) about shortages of services and cuts and policies etc?

I am living/working under the threat that any complaining I do about cuts or hospital policies which I do not feel are in the patients interest is 'Undermining the Public's faith in the NHS and is a sackable offence'...

We are told to fob off patients who ask us about their (though I should say 'our') services and accessability when wards are being closed and little extra resources being allocated to community services.. We are all to pretend everything is wonderful... It smacks of 'Brave New World' with a good helping of '1984' thrown in... Its basically a Gagging Order.

Colleagues who at one time would've joined together to protest now cower in corners or shrug their shoulders as if helpless in the face of a powerful beurocracy.

Am I truly alone in believing a) we should not be working in conditions like this..

and b) if we united as a body we could influence and improve the way our NHS is being managed for the better for both patients and currently utterly demoralised insecure staff.

What I find hardest to take is although I am a taxpayer and user of the service I do not have the right to make my opinion/concerns heard because I am also employed by the service.

Is anyone else out there suffering like this?

Who is telling you that you cannot speak out about these cuts, is it your line manager or senior managers in the trust you work in. What sort of information would you give to your patients. I ask because I work in an acute area where I personally don't think it would be appropraite to talk to patients who are unwell or in pain about the deficiets within the NHS. They need confidence in thier caregivers whilst they are so vunerable. But there are appropriate ways of voicing your complaints such as patient groups. Another way to go if you feel that your ability to care for your patients would be to your union, they will be able to give you advice. You are entitled to speak your concerns finding the best way to do that will be the challenge.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Tell your patients that you are not permitted to discuss the changes, or better yet, that you are only permitted to discuss them in positive terms, and then remain silent. They will get the message.

[laurajacks]

thanks canoehead..probably the only approach I can use. There has been a real culture change in the Nursing Profession and where one used to get support from colleagues now all are either too apathetic, or too ambitious to say/do anything, and in my experience Unions are too busy these days sorting out a good deal on household insurance for us nurses and making decisions/deals with management without consulting members about work conditions, they seem to have little time to spend with individuals and their concerns about the direction services are taking. I will nevertheless contact my local rep.

Perhaps it is because I work for a foundation trust now?...

Their other suggestion has been that if one is not happy with the working terms and conditions of this trust... well! one can always leave!, (thats what I call valueing staff!)...wish i could! but unfortunately am not in a financial position to do so.

I love my patients! but boy do I hate what this job has become!

[Belinda-wales, RN]

Laurajacks - What can I say except how sorry I am that you are forced to work in this environment- I see you have been in nursing about the same amount of time that I have- I was an RN\Midwife prior to leaving the uk almost a year ago-I was feeling the same as you Ihad given my working life to a job that I have loved - I really wanted to make a difference but hated what the jobhadbecome due to miss- management of the nhs. What I did was become really active with RCN - mainly on the professional body side I became board member for my trust which enable me to be in a position to speak the truth- good luck- also try their discussion board.