Im a RN (registered nurse) and the faster I work and the sooner I am done with my duties, the more duties I receive. For doing this I don't receive a bigger paycheck.
I now realize I always do this: right after starting my shift I always try to work as fast as possible, simply to be done with it (if it has to be done, it has to be done).
Just so you know what a typical day entails: I have to control medications and infusions, control blood sugar and administer insulin for several patients, do wound care and lab work and then there is documentation, talking to doctors, APS, nursing homes, the police… There is also education of nursing assistants and nursing students and on top of that there is always the chance we have an emergency or we have to admit new patients which happens quite often.
Truth be told, I feel exploited by both other RNs and the administrator, because I cannot pause for even 5 minutes after washing an incontinent patient on his bed and giving him fresh linens. It's even worse when this patient happens to be covid positive (you have to be fully PPE) or is fully demented and simply won't cooperate.
If my coworker see me resting, they 'suggest' I do something and I never say no.
I feel both coworkers and admin are using my helping nature against me and I feel exploited. Id like my coworkers and admin to understand that after working uninterruptedly for 25 minutes I need a pause and that if my job consists of putting out fires every day and constantly, I'm going to burnout, because I also don't want to go home with leg pain and waking the next day with pain as well.
So, how do I pace myself in the workplace?
If you read the whole post, maybe you've got other suggestions?