‘Depression just takes a hold’

Stress, exhaustion and lack of sick time can take a heavy toll, young nurse admits

As her baby plays on a blanket, a young nurse confides the struggles that others don’t think she should have.

But a good profession, good pay and a new child aren’t an automatic recipe for a smooth life, she says.

The profession is one she loves and the baby has brought joy to her life.

But the young family has financial struggles from fluctuations in her husband’s profession and paying for education debt and housing costs.

And there are the thoughts of searching for an affordable daycare and how to juggle that around shift work.

She has used all her sick leave and there are not nearly enough family days, said the Eastern Health nurse, who responded to a Telegram story about sick time and stress leave in the health profession.

The nurse asked not to be named because she fears career backlash — the young woman suffers from an eating disorder and depression, and seeking help at work is always done with caution.

“There’s the whole confidentiality thing, but you still fear you will run into someone you know,” she said.

In 2011, she said, she was binging on junk food non stop before being diagnosed. She still hides candy bars. A supportive doctor has made a difference and the woman finds busy work days rewarding, but the work of tending to seriously ill patients is emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting, she said.

There’s also the emotional experience of seeing patients succumb to their illnesses.

She can’t have an off day, because distraction on an off day could result in errors that seriously harm or even kill a patient.

But the minute there’s downtime, the funk sets in.

“Depression just takes a hold,” she said. “You always put up a front for people.”

Keeping up with a baby and family life and bringing home the stress of work takes a toll that eats into her sick time. She also finds she needs recovery from shift changeovers.

Sick call a tough call

It’s tough to call in sick when she knows that might result in the floor being short a registered nurse or someone being called in on overtime.

“There’s nothing worse than working short,” she said, explaining the remaining nurses then have to take on more patients, adding to their stress and spreading the care thinner.

Eastern Health spends about $50 million a year on absenteeism.

The nurse said there just aren’t enough family days — coworkers have no choice to call in sick if the schools are closed or they have a family emergency or appointment and can’t obtain annual leave days.

Sick time has been an issue for decades in health care. The young nurse said what could help are:

• More RNs on duty, as well as more casual nurses in the system to cut down on overtime hours.

• Debriefing to help healthcare staff cope with traumatic events at work

• More personal-care attendants to help with routine patient duties such as bathing, meal time and helping people to the bathroom.

• More family days and mental-health days to help workers who are coping with illnesses and stress.

• Daycare facilities for Eastern Health employees, including shift workers.