Anyone else having a crazy week?

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 05 May 2019 10:14:28 GMT

[quote user="Judith Archbold"]

Why is working a Bank Holiday harsher for staff with families than anyone else.....?

( a nerve has been touched )

[/quote]

As has been said, I don't think it was meant that way at all. It is just hard to get time off all together sometimes, so bank holidays can be a rare opportunity.

I had discussion with a childless colleague once as he was unhappy that he had been refused getting both Easter weeks off as another colleague with children wanted one of them. He couldn't understand why 'she got priority just because she has kids'. (He missed the point that they were getting offered one week each). A few years later...he had kids....and expected school holidays off. I think he finally realised that parents have NO flexibility...if you don't get that school holiday off, you don't get a holiday with your kids.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 05 May 2019 10:07:10 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]Throwing a few shapes on the dancefloor?[/quote]

I was referring to other sorts of clubs...specifically triathlon club...

Your mind, however, was obviously elsewhere.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Alistair Graham-Evans — Sun, 05 May 2019 09:39:36 GMT

[quote user="Judith Archbold"]

Why is working a Bank Holiday harsher for staff with families than anyone else.....?

( a nerve has been touched )

Some of us have no family at all .... but would still like a B/H off to spend with dogs at the beach, or visit friends.

[/quote]

I remember when our children were young and I had a hectic roster, that family time was precious as I didn’t see them when working all day and many weekends on call (1 in 2 )

I’m not saying your leisure time is less important but when you have a young family it is less flexible. Now my children are grown up I am happy to cover holidays and school events for younger staff although we are lucky with an out of hours provider in town at weekends.

I can now take holidays whenever I like but that nativity play or sports day that is missed has been lost forever. An important day with friends especially on a special occasion is important too. Sometimes important family events come before maximising profit and we all cover for each other when needed.

Staff satisfaction entails so much more than wages alone. Enabling attendance at events and thanking and supporting those who provide cover and attempting to be fair to all is important.

We have a very low staff turnover.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Julie Innes — Sat, 04 May 2019 19:27:06 GMT

Since its my practice and we outsource our OOH, bank holidays are the only days I can take off without paying for a locum! So I make the most of it!

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 04 May 2019 17:33:20 GMT

Personally I think I'd rather work and have another day off. We open at Easter as people are lambing but close for all the others and just see emergencies.

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]That's grim. I loved my bank holiday weekends.... especially because lots of friends, clubs[/quote]

Throwing a few shapes on the dancefloor?

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Judith Archbold — Sat, 04 May 2019 16:42:45 GMT

Why is working a Bank Holiday harsher for staff with families than anyone else.....?

( a nerve has been touched )

Some of us have no family at all .... but would still like a B/H off to spend with dogs at the beach, or visit friends.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Alistair Graham-Evans — Fri, 03 May 2019 23:25:07 GMT

[quote user="Lesley Strong"]

Just do what we do and work bank holidays as fully staffed normal day!

[/quote] That’s not much fun and a bit harsh especially for staff with families.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 03 May 2019 19:42:08 GMT

[quote user="Lesley Strong"]Just do what we do and work bank holidays as fully staffed normal day![/quote]

That's grim. I loved my bank holiday weekends.... especially because lots of friends, clubs and societies plan things for those weekends as more people can usually attend.

It's no good having a different day off if your partner and kids are in work and school.

Life's too short to miss out on the good times.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Lesley Strong — Fri, 03 May 2019 17:16:05 GMT

Just do what we do and work bank holidays as fully staffed normal day!

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

grumpyoldman — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 10:41:48 GMT

I have to admit a chronic dislike of Bank Holidays. With all staff getting 6 weeks paid holiday a year and a four day week frankly, I do not see the need. It compresses 5 days work into 4 days while people naturally try and make the most of the situation by tagging on leave days to form an extra week. So in addition to having 10+ procedures and emergencies the appointment book is full, no time for any breaks or lunch.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Julie Innes — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 14:45:06 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Dennison"]In the last 10 days we've had 5 or 6 caesarians. Ridiculous[/quote]

Wow!! We have just being seeing loads of V+/D+, seems to be something doing the rounds. But in the last couple of weeks we have had 2 hypercalcaemias (and a third that I think might be similar), suspect all lymphoma related. These things come in runs, it seems!

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 17:54:58 GMT

I had Easter Monday off, back in work Tuesday.

Went on a lovely long dog walk yesterday and have figured out the long way round to one of my favourite pubs from our new house - that will be used a lot this summer!

In the last 10 days we've had 5 or 6 caesarians. Ridiculous.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Julie Innes — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 15:37:03 GMT

Wow, sounds like we are not the only ones swamped! We had the bank holiday off- paying for it now, of course, but it was worth it!

Hope things have calmed down for the rest of you!

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Lucy Fleming — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 22:46:56 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]All I can say is you're all amazing people, and it is wonderful that we have folk like you out there working so hard. Well done. . [/quote]

Thanks Gillian, it's always nice to get a pep talk from those who have been there (until quite recently I think?) Hopefully Anthony Dennison has managed to get home for some rest! I've got an AKI cat to keep me company for now...

Edited to add - also my lovely nurse brought me some home made chocolate cake when she came in to help me bleed and drip the cat, so that was dinner sorted!

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Dinu Catilina — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 21:04:40 GMT

Two ceasarians and whelped a bitch! Today. A third one called but they were two far for the bitch to travel safely and luckily they took our advice to go local.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 15:45:24 GMT

All I can say is you're all amazing people, and it is wonderful that we have folk like you out there working so hard. Well done. .

I've done my share of OOH and crazy weeks, but currently enjoying some me time. A whole Easter weekend of gardening in the sunshine. Bliss. ( Hard landscaping though, so everything aches!)

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Lucy Fleming — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 15:18:57 GMT

Something's definitely up. I've had 2 cow caesars this weekend (which makes five in the last 3 1/2 weeks, having not previously had one for several months) though the small animal side of things has been fairly sensible - some x-rays and a stitch up yesterday morning, standard Saturday am surgery madness and a home visit and a few silly things after the first caesar. Just seen a chocolate ingestion so that one's ticked off the easter weekend bingo card...

Only 16 1/2 hours to go.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Catriona MacIntyre — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 14:16:03 GMT

It's the full moon effect. The Easter one is always worse

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Anthony Dennison — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 01:35:24 GMT

Just pulled a bit of stick out of a dog's tongue - that's the 2nd stick injury this week - first one swallowed the stick and needed a gastrotomy!

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Anthony Dennison — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 01:02:23 GMT

Crazy week? We've been mental for months!

So far this week along we've had 3 foreign bodies, usually at least one home visit a day, 4 caesarians, one splenectomy (which is the 5th in the last 6 weeks). Also got multiple vets and nurses off on holiday because it's school holidays, plus another RVN off with a bad back.

I started work at 8.30am Saturday morning and am still here - was about to start a caesarian when a beagle came in agonal gasping - think it's severe SRMA as it had a sore neck for the last few days. Had to resuscitate that and stabilise it before then starting on the caesarian. 2 nursing assistant and the first on call vet reviving pups whilst monitoring the beagle and also answering the phone that hasn't stopped since 9am.

Just got to make it through to 9am Monday...

Sorry to go all 4 Yorkshiremen but it has been ridiculous for us. I am seriously fatigued.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

George Cooper — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 12:25:15 GMT

[quote user="Joyce Whitehead"]

Thanks Julie, cats are home and I’m slowly getting organised for going away. It’ll be nice to get up north with good weather although we have often been lucky. I’m a highlander so realistic about what to expect when I head up home. (It’s still home even though I’ve lived in Yorkshire longer than in Scotland).

[/quote]

Aye - its funny how "home" is tartan-coloured. For me, approaching the bridge at Kincardine, with the backdrop of the Ochil Hills in the evening sun was a time when the car had to slow, and the tissues reached for! Emotional - moi??

Years ago I took my old Dad up to Shetland from whence Cooper ancestors came, and as it happened our RBofS Bank Manager had been shifted to their Lerwick branch. Asking him how things were, he said that two things had struck him - weather, with horizontal rain, and when it was a "quiet day" i.e. no wind at all; and the second was how returning Shetlanders of many generations gone would visit - and would refer to the place unanimously as "Hame"!

There's no doubting the pull of an ethnic origin!

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 12:05:26 GMT

Serious chest injury

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Joyce Whitehead — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 20:10:52 GMT

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Robert FalconerTaylor — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 17:54:55 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]

AND the SUN is shining!! In Scotland!oJ

[/quote]

Sun always shines in Scotland, it's just a matter of degree + a wee bit of creative imagination.

RE: Anyone else having a crazy week?

Julie Innes — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 13:53:49 GMT

Post went a bit funny at the end- I hope you get your blocked cats off home, Joyce! And you seem to be getting a great weekend, weather-wise, to come see us up here!