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Take a chill pill
By Sadia Naeem
1 Jul 2011
Despite what many might think from looking at my
slender exterior, I used to be an avid basketball player during my high school
days and from the age of eight up until a year or so ago, I used to grace my local
sports centre's badminton courts every Saturday with my dad. Ah, those were the
days. Exercise nowadays, however, is a lot harder to incorporate into my
timetable, especially during term and exam time when I run around like a
headless chicken half the time. This year, though, I decided to change. I learned
all about cardiovascular disease and hypertension and other common illnesses in
the elderly and found that they can actually affect anyone with the risk
factors; and exercise is a massive risk factor, particularly in the elderly but
not exclusively. Although heart attacks aren't common in younger people, it
still scared me enough into thinking I have to start doing more exercise,
especially now that I have too much time on my hands.
Really though, how many unhealthy pharmacists are there out
there? Unhealthy is perhaps a strong word; over-worked is a better one. I'm
sure patients would like to think that as well as caring for their health,
their pharmacist was caring for their own health in order to care for them in
the best possible way. Many pharmacists that I know seem constantly stressed or
tired...but none have ever complained of their job, at least to me. This tells me
that pharmacists truly work by the main statement of the code of ethics, that
the patient's well-being is of utmost importance...but maybe a little too much?
Doctors are possibly even more over-worked; my uncle is the medical director of
a large hospital and works long hours with hardly any time to himself on the
days he works, never mind making sure he eats properly and gets enough sleep
and exercise.
My main point is that healthcare professionals need to
realise that they are just as important as the patients they treat. And as my
favourite band said many times, pressure "burns a building down" and "splits a
family in two". I know I'm entering a very rewarding profession, but I'm ever
so slightly apprehensive about whether I'll have enough ‘me' time once I'm a
practising pharmacist.
Aha! Physician heal thyself eh?
Easier to give out the advice than to take it sometimes isn't it!?! And yet who does that really serve? You might say the paitents that those hard working, long suffering, pharmacists look after. Hmm... not really when they are fatigued and make a mistake or let a near miss become an error.
You might say it serves the pharmacy team cos afterall, who wants a whinging boss? Not really! Whilst I totally agree that a whinging boss does not motivate a well oiled team, a tired, stressed boss does not make a good role model and certainly does not inspire others in to the profession.
Does it inspire the company they work for? Nope - whilst they may appreciate the lack of complaining they do not appreciate just how much that pharmacist does, the additional value that he/she adds and the impact it is having on thier health...that is...until they go off sick with stress and have to be replaced with someone not quite so conscientious.
Would you take a patient who is sufferering from burn out in to the consultation room, sit him or her down and give them this advice?......
"Stop complaining and just get on with it. Your health is not important,the job is. You must be a martyr to the code and your health and well being must be the lowest priority. Grab someting to eat eat as and when you can and don't get too much sleep. Oh, and make sure you do not make any mistakes and that you give everything to the people you serve."
No way would you ever say that to a patient - and yet we have pharmacists saying it unconsciously to themselves. Hmm....a little practice what you preach required I think!
Like Sadia - I too notice the stress, the tiredness, the matyrdom in our pharmacies and like Sadia I am concerned at the example this sets, the impact on the pharmacists, their families, their teams and thier customers.
I just want to add 2 things.
1. YOU are AMAZING people doing an phenomal job that has SO much value.
2. Stop trying to be perfect - be kind to yourself and the people around you and give yourself permission to be human. Take your own advice so that we can appreciate what you do for longer and see you smile again!
TeeJay Dowe MRPharmS BScHons NLPMP HypMP GQHP CBCC LCDip BCDip Author, Speaker, Trainer and International Coach Momentum People Ltd Success Coaching and Training Services Tel: 01793 700929 Mob: 07886 234197 Email: tracey.dowe@momentumpeople.co.uk
I am up for that...
What a sound advise.
Sadia - great post
TeeJay - in your wonderful motivational style, you captured the need to look after self very well.
It is ironic therefore that I used to ask myself: who looks after the manager? A newly qualified pharmacist I was trying to contact recently told me that he nowadays hardly have time for himself. He doesn't even have time to speak to his friends and family anymore. It's work-sleep-work cycle!
Where is that bottle? I want to hit the chill pill.
Kazeem