How Does One Deal With Social Burnout From Work?

[Dillon]

I’ve been working 4 straight consecutive days from Friday to Monday (today) where I work at a hospital as a patient transporter and assisting with patient care alongside with some of the nurses on the floor.
The first couple days were going good where I felt I was in the right frame of mind and was keeping focused but Monday just hit me for some reason.

First I’m not sure if it’s something I’m doing but I had come across a few rude individuals/nurses who I had tried to assist. I helped in a case where I was transferring a patient from the floor to radiology and I am told that I am “not going fast enough” because the nurse wanted to be on her lunch break. Yeah you’re holding an IV line while I’m transporting the patient at the same time and to me going “faster” is relatively not safe for the patient. I can already see I’m around a self entitled individual who I may have rubbed the wrong way? “No you’re not doing it right” (this was before transport where I incorrectly positioned the stretcher the way the nurse wanted and I had trouble understanding”.

I later on another patient from a procedure to their room and afterwards I let the charge nurse know and I’m being berated because I did not use a call light to let the nurse know right then…no one ever told me to use a call light ever since I started working at this job “I know you’re new but you have to do it this way”.
I had another Instance where I’m talking with a nurse about picking up a patient and at the moment I couldn’t remember what I was going to say so I had to refer back to my notes while stuttering at the same time (I’m already tired at this point while also fearing what this person is going to think of me acting this way).

I do my job and I’m usually friendly and outgoing naturally but I have people just look at me like I’m either stupid or just a burden and all because I guess I’m working at a entry level job below a nurse and a doctor. I noticed my non functioning social battery was not cooperating as the day went on and that had seemed to get in the way as far as verbalizing instructions and acting like I couldn’t do my job more fully. I feel me being tired can lead to over reaction and feel socially awkward more often.

This post may not make much more sense when reading this since hey I’m still burned out that I’m losing concentration while typing but I’m trying my best. How does one go through their day or multiple days in a row without not just feeling burned out but also not letting people think that you just don’t belong in a certain place? It’s like multiple compounded feelings that I’m having with myself and with the interaction of others where people are either rude or just bothered that I’m in the presence of the moment. I’m just like am I the freakin problem in a way?

 

[Outdated]

I never really found an answer to that. I lived in a different era and a different world where it was a lot easier for me to change jobs and I did that a lot. I found quite a few places where I felt I fitted in well but nothing lasts forever and I'd move on again.

 

[Tired]

I don't have a workplace where I don't fit in, but I still often get burnouts because half of my colleagues are stupid idiots who can't do their job, and I just dislike being with people for 7h because I have social anxiety and I'm an introvert. When I get burnouts there isn't much I can or want to do - I just sleep a lot and try to do something which makes me just a little bit happier than how I feel at the moment. The feeling goes away on its own for me, but later comes back. It's just a cycle for me, not much I can do about it but wait for it to get better. Sometimes it needs days, sometimes weeks. Therapy did help me a looot tho.

 

[Tired]

And I know many people from medical circles, most of them are also in burnout and because of that they are easily irritated or stopped giving f*ck much about others. So when they see that you can't even talk properly, and spend their oh so previous time on looking at the papers, plus doing things slower than they would, they just become pissed off and see you as a nuisance.

Life in hospitals is very fast-paced and chaotic, it's just a hard place to be in, that's why with time I dropped my thoughts to become a doctor myself - I just know that I will be stressed 24/7 and I don't need that in my life.

Hopefully it'll become better for you.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Nearly 40 years of busy ICU...non-stop patient monitor alarms, the lights, the talking, the phones, the constant interruptions, the staff, patient, and family interactions...totally understand this.

Management:
1. "Mini breaks"...10 min in a bathroom, locker room, break room where you can be by yourself...collect yourself...sip a drink, a snack...then back to work before people realize you're not there.
2. Get as much sleep as you can. I get home around 7:30pm but I am in bed by 8:15. Back up at 4:30am. On your days off...nap in the afternoon.
3. Minimize your sugars/carbs. Take your supplements/vitamins. Avoid caffeine.

 

[Masked Man]

I told you... healthcare is a beast.

As Neonatal RRT said, manage yourself if you want to make this work. And consider if this is what you really want.

It gets easier over time, but it's never going to be easy. There are no easy jobs in healthcare.