Are health care workers healthy?
This is not medical advice.
I’m not going to make fun of doctors or nursing staff. I will wrap back around to the implications of their health later.
But I am going to make fun of half of my profession (of course).
Half of us are pretty miserable, mostly because we have to try and please 2-3 patients per hour, and we have a nauseating volume of paperwork that no one will ever read. The purpose of the paperwork is plausible deniability on the part of the insurance racket, and for liability. Read any PT forum on the internet to hear about the general unhappiness and naive delusions about the industry.
The answer to this problem is going into business for yourself. It’s not easy, but can be done.
The other half of us (me included), have it very easy. I haven’t had to see more than one patient an hour for the past 5 years of my career.
Most of us in this group casually sip our chai lattes between patients, or drive around in our Subaru with the “coexist” bumper sticker for home health visits, or lounge outside in the sun with our nursing home patients. We have time to pick our favorite music to play in the clinic. Maybe have time to write articles (thinking emoji…). We have time to joke around with patients and colleagues. We might even leave work at 4 if our last patient cancels.
We have time to “work out”, and will grab some tofu bean salad with avocado toast (whole grain, locally sourced) at lunch, sit outside and catch up on our social media accounts. And ironically, complain about work…
The other staff
Some medical doctors and nurses might have the easier route, but that’s not what I’ve witnessed in the industry. Many are overweight, sleep deprived, drinking sugary soft drinks, partially for caffeine, live under fluorescent lights staring into computer screens. Their social life and happiness suffers from long hours.
Longer hours aren’t a one to one relationship, they become exponentially harder after the first 8. I’ve tried 10-12 hour days, and I was exhausted enough that the days off didn’t feel worth it.
It’s not health care, it’s sick care, delivered by some sick or unhealthy individuals. Most of the time, they are doing their best, despite an industry that makes it difficult.
But why are we taking health advice from an unhealthy industry? There are times when we need pharmaceuticals, but are they “healthy?”
Maybe it’s just semantics. Maybe we should just be honest and call it the Sick Care Industry. I’m guessing they wouldn’t agree to that, as they would probably lose revenue.