Whats your solution for job burnout?

Question

I can't switch jobs, the money is phenomenal here and I do love my job.

I have a hard time staying 'happy' and 'pleasant' with my on call patients. I get so tired of them wanting to know the gender of their baby when I am trying to find out whats wrong with their baby.

I get tired of them getting mad when the gender isn't what they wanted. I get tired of watching them drug, drink, smoke their baby to death in utero.

I get tired of doing meth addicts tripping out etc.

I work odd hours, I don't sleep well with being on call and up all different times of the night.

I get the next day off after being on call, but that is spent recouping from the previous night.

I plan small trips on weekends, I have mules and spend alot of time with them when I am not working.

What is your advice for burnout, what keeps you motivated? When you see the worst of human nature, how do you go back to the same grime the next day?

Any ideas?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Believe it or not, Mule, I completely understand.

I love WHAT I do.
I just don't always enjoy the people I work with. And I think that's the root of your problem, based on your comments.


Yes, I love my paycheck. And, frankly, its often the only thing keeping me from changing jobs/careers. That doesn't mean that I love what I do any less-- it just means that I wouldnt' be able to pay my bills (thus more stress & less 'happy') in another position.


I go home after each business trip feeling like a complete and utter racist. (I work with a unique culture of people who, in their culture, do not value women, and put $$ over honesty and doing the 'right thing.')
I am asked to lie cheat and steal for these clients. They lie about me, they steal from me, and they cheat me. I have been phsyically assaulted by my clients.


I LOVE what I do. But somedays I absolutely despise the people I work with.


Now... my tricks for burnout?? For me, its pony time. I love being able to teach riding and horsemanship lessons. I love being able to have a GREAT ride.
Having the ability to do that justifies the time I spend earning my paycheck (lol to pay board!)

I spend as much time at the barn as I possibly can. I like to go grab a chair in the field and just hang out with my boy. He comes over and sniffs me and loves on me and really reminds me of the reasons I deal with my icky clients each week. Its to take care of him.

And to me, making sure that he's got the best life possibly is completely reason enough to keep doing what I do.

Seeing that big ole' chestnut face and those gorgeous brown eyes looking at me, trusting in me to provide for him... that's 100000% enough motivation to tolerate the dregs of humanity that I often work with.

*HUG* I Hope you feel better, Mule. :( If nothing else, you can come to VA and ride my horse whenever you want. :-D He's good at taking away stress.

Answer 2

Hello, Mulereiner!
Wow, I can see why you are burned out. People don't appreciate what you are doing, and how material getting mad if the gender isn't what they want, what is wrong with them? You would think they would be happy to have a healthy baby, I hope they don't hold it against the kid later on in life, how sad.
You have a skilled profession, and I can tell you are good at what you do. Is there any way to transfer to get away from being on call? It's hard to have a positive attitude when you aren't getting enough sleep. I get downright crabby!
I used to bartend, and it was fun for the first 5 years or so, but I got burned out. Guys peeing on their chairs, cleaning up puke in the bathrooms, etc. I had to find something different. I seen the worst in people.
So now I work in the maternity ward in a hog barn. My clients stink, slam my hand into crates while I'm vaccinating, will run right through you if so inclined, lay on their piglets, some gilts even kill their litters. At least I can swear at my clients when I get mad, helps blow off steam. Also like you, the pay is what keeps me there, and the driving distance. My boss is a tightwad, and he doesn't realize that if he would just get a few things, it would pay for itself in time saved in my wages.
The only thing that keeps me going some days is to have a sow with problems farrowing, sleeve her, pull out this little wet baby, see him breath for the first time, dry him off and put him under the heat lamp. Check on him later, he is all snuggled up next to mama nursing.
I try to look for one thing good that happened that day. Sometimes it's hard to find it, but it is always there.
Oh, here's a thought. The city north of where I live (you know which one) has a hospital and alot of clinics and they are really expanding, buying up the houses around the hospital and building a big addition for the children and prenatal care. Maybe they could get you some better hours, probably less meth cases too.
Key word= Sanford
Hope you have a good day, just take one at a time though!

Answer 3

It will aid for a brief interval of time. If you might have a task burnout you then quite have got to transfer directly to whatever else. Some position else. I was once completly burned out on my activity. I was once there for four years and was once pleasant at it. I was once in order that worn out of it and I didnt get to revel in something new on a daily basis. It was once the identical historical factor on a daily basis. I went out on maturnity go away for six weeks. When I got here again, to start with I was once completely happy once more. However that wore off quickly adequate. I now have yet another activity and undoubtedly find it irresistible! And I also have extra exprience than earlier than!

Answer 4

I have a similar job, though not as clinical.
I work in registration for a local hospital, and am one of the two people that is trained in every department. This means I get calls at all hours of the day to fill in call ins and vacation days.
I work 3rd every other weekend and every Monday, and sometimes doubles. I completely understand the whole no day to yourself.
What I do to keep motivated is to focus more on the positive of my jobs, and the good that does happen. Yes I deal with a large population of homeless and drunk people, but that's not all of my job. I get to see the doctors and nurses do some really amazing work, and am glad I get to be a small part of it.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

On one channel I see the mayhem in Somalia. I change channels and see the blood on the streets of Iraq. I change channels and see thousands of people in India picking through trash in the dump looking for food. I change channels and see trains from South America heading North with people clinging to every car, some even falling to their death. I could go on forever. Did you ever hear of a boat load of people leaving America to go to El Salvador or Cuba. I have an idea. Why don't you thank God that you're the luckiest person on this planet. He might truly appreciate a little gratitude.

Answer 7

You start off by saying that you love your job. Are you sure it's not just the money. The only thing you said that was positive about your job was that the money was phenomenal. That was it... everything else was negative. I think you need to re-examine why you love your job. Or rather what you love about your job.

Answer 8

When I start loosing my mind over work, (schoolwork in my case), I beg my mom to take me over to see my horse. Then I give him a VERY thorough grooming, then I pick his hooves, and scoop the poo, and do all that enjoyable stuff. :D

I feel much more relaxed and focused after giving him a huge hug and a kiss, and just leaning on him, breathing in his horsey smell.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Move to massachusetts and joing a good church