Unhealthy people working in the healthcare field
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I think the issue is two fold:
-Sometimes when you spend so much time taking care of others, you forget to take care of yourself
-The important of diet and nutrition is often glossed over in medical training. Many doctors never take a nutrition course. Our health care system is about treatment, not prevention.0 -
I am an ALMOST RN (taking the NCLEX soon!) and in school I did a research project on the effect of overweight and obese nurses on the patient's confidence in nutrition information given by the nurse.... something like that, the title was hella long. anyways, i felt like in nursing school as a diabetic and overweight that i should definitely practice what i preach because who would i be to give nutrition advice if i weren't following it myself? my research said the same thing. patients tend to not want to follow an overweight nurses' advice because they don't practice it themselves. as a healthy nurse, i would be able to attest to the patients about how to live a healthy life and tips on overcoming obesity.0
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My weight does not affect my intelligence, compassion,care and concern! I am a proud well educated Nurse! Who has looked after the sick for well over 25 years, you don't want to trust me because of my weight fine but you are the one missing out! The one thing I am so proud and confident of is my ability as a nurse, don't judge me on my weight judge me on my compassion!0
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On the topic of nurses that work really hard for their patients, I have a very different take than most... I think something is VERY VERY wrong with the fact that indeed, those people are worked and stressed to their breaking point on a daily basis. It's the biggest irony that it is that difficult for someone in this field to stay healthy and live an healthy lifestyle.
Here in Quebec, a lot of people graduating from nursing school go to Europe, like Sweden where they have MUCH better conditions. At the moment here, the average nurse works double shifts 3 days a week. And the peer pressure is so screwed that the ones crossing the pond perceived as the evil ones, shame on them for actually wanting to have the opportunity to excel at their work AND develop as a person...
This is just insane, and they all do it for their patients, not realizing that in fact no one wins, especially not themselves, and not even their patients, who do realize that this situation is garbage... Someone somewhere is saving on costs and paying themselves hefty bonuses because they can count on the fact that you won't let someone die, and that is what is very wrong.
So yeah, I do think, like someone said earlier and was taken badly, that it is absolutely terrible that your job is doing that to you. And like someone else said, it is an excuse. A VERY good one, but still an excuse. Your patients are very important, but none of them will be around when you suffer, alone, and impose on your own family, the consequences of being overweight. This is why we are here, and everyone has a good reason why they got there, but everyone also has to get out of obesity, no matter their job or story.
Nutritionists on the other hand, they have a different situation. My previous post still resumes what I think about that case
Their bodies are their uniforms, and to be taken seriously, just like any other job like that, you have to lead by example. Which, truly when you think about it, is more of a perk than a burden.
I completely agree with you. It is the nature of many countries these days - the U.S. is particularly bad and it sounds like Canada is there, too - to work people to death, even though productivity would be higher if people are *not* worked so hard in the wrong way.
My mother's a nurse, and the things they have to deal with can be terrible. Some states are better than others. For instance, I've heard that some states have people specifically for lifting patients so that nurses do not need to risk hurting their backs, some states require an hour "nap" if you work a 12 hour night shift (personally I find it terrifying that medical professionals in hospitals have to work long hours - I would much rather someone who has not been working for so long care for me in an emergency), but mostly, yeah - nurses work long hours and can find it difficult to eat well without regular breaks (or any breaks) and with patients leaving baked goods and stuff. However, that's why it's even more important to try to take control and plan so that the vending machine or cafeteria food is not an easy option. I'm vegan, I have to plan for every day or I just wouldn't be able to eat a lot of times. Having good meals at work can become a part of life if a person makes it so.
To the OP - I understand what you're saying. You weren't talking about skills but wondering why people who see the negative consequences of actions every day appear to find it hard to make positive changes for themselves. Who really knows? Humans seem to be very adept at existing in denial. If you're in a place which requires effort, especially a lot of effort, to get out of, something has to switch in your brain before you can really make a change; it's easier to just stay the same.0 -
I'll throw my own personal two cents in the ring, just from working in the healthcare field previously, and since I have decided to make a change. It might be hard for a person who works a normal 9-5 job five days a week to understand how healthcare professionals can let their weight or their health spiral out of control. I used to work as an EMT and started going to nursing school before certain unforeseen circumstances came up and had to give up my career. I can personally attest to why I gained weight and made poor decisions while I did these jobs, even though I was medically trained to know why it was bad for me.
First of all, I gained a crazy amount of weight when I was working as an EMT and going to paramedic school. I was attending school twice a week for twelve hours and doing sixteen hour clinicals on days I wasn't in class. I barely had time to sleep, much less exercise appropriately. Any spare time I was not doing clinicals or going to school I was volunteering at a local fire department to help pad my resume and get some experience. My food choices weren't amazing because despite making more than minimum wage and being able to afford food in college, I was never home to make healthy meals for myself. It was a lot easier to grab something between runs or to trot down to the hospital cafeteria for a snack. I also smoked because some of the things I saw on a daily basis could get under my skin easily and sometimes give me recurring nightmares. Most of the time I was able to get small amounts of sleep on a rotating schedule, but after any particularly gory day, I had trouble getting to sleep that night. I also had a relationship dissolve on me arond that time, and I believe the reason was because I was never home. That put a lot of stress on me, And all of this while I was still in school and working "part-time!" I couldn't imagine how a doctor constantly on call feels!
My first day on the job I was asked by my partner "So, kid, you know what EMT stands for?" I waited for him to answer, and he said "Extra-Marital Time" and I believe him. You have so little time for yourself, much less your partners, I bet there is rampant infildelity.
I wish people would stop judging healthcare providers so harshly. They have given up EVERYTHING, at the expense of themselves, to do heroic work saving or bettering other people's lives. I'm not saying that being healthy in the field is impossible, but try to be a little more understanding of what these people actually go through. They really do mean to help you.0 -
I don't have a problem with overweight people. I know how hard it is to lose weight. I do however have a problem with smokers. I went to the ER for a very bad migraine and the nurse smelled like cigarette smoke. It was so bad I ended up throwing up on her. If i could throw up on every smoker I would.
I also have problems with nutritionist who say to eat "whole wheat bread everyday" I have been told this by multiple nutritionists. I have celiacs for crying out loud and they are telling me to eat wheat. Even if I didn't have celiacs wheat causes inflammation and your blood sugar to soar and then crash.
Sorry that was my rant.
Do they know of your problem before they tell you to eat whole wheat?0 -
I work in a hospital, and yes I am overweight, You can't not take people seriously because they have a few pounds on them, I mean come on, you don't know why they are overweight, yes they know they are overweight, doesnt mean they dont know how to do their jobs. and you dont know why they are overweight, could be a health issue or due to medication etc.. Dont judge a book by its cover0
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So I know your not trying to be judgmental about unhealthy people working in the health field, but did you even realize how that was going to come off to people who have the illnesses you listed. I have never in my life blamed IBS on my diet, because its creation is in no way related. Half the time attacks are not even related to what I am eating. Maybe, since he is a professional, he knows that and doesn't view it the way that you do.
People with IBS have a horrendous time with diets. For me personally I can only drink whole organic milk and white bread. I cant eat fish. Most fruits and vegetables make me ill. Orange juice is completely out of the question. Stress affects it. Drastic temperature changes affect it. Smells affect it. The medications make you gain weight because they assume you are losing so much being ill.
I have a heard time taking advice from people who do not understand what having this issue is like and how it affects you life.
What upsets me about your post, is that it reads like you are saying it is the fault of the patients that they are sick. I was a competitive gymnast when I was diagnosed as a child. My diet was in no way bad and I was very healthy. It is not my fault that I am sick.
I understand your frustration with people in the health industry who do not take care of themselves as they should (i.e. nurses and doctors who smoke). I just dont think you meant it as it came across. People are very touchy about their illnesses. I hope this doesnt come off like I am attacking you. I just wanted to make you aware of how it sounded and explain why it got a negative reaction from me.
Everyones gotta have an excuse for being fat. I have a close friend with IBS, she has been through hell with it and weights 130 lbs. She takes responsibility for her illness and her own actions.
I don't understand "She take responsibility for her illness" How do you take responsibility for IBS when it can strike at anytime relating to food or not. I can wake up at 4am and have an episode untill 12pm not eat anything. It does not matter what you eat with IBS it can hurt you at any time.0 -
Just because they are in the healthcare field doesn't mean they don't have their own demons, flaws, and addictions.
Many of us on MFP know what we "should" do, but we are here because we struggle with it. I don't know why it would be any different for them.
I think this is the best answer to the OP's question as well as the best response to the people that don't like fat healthcare workers. Most people know the hardships that being overweight or smoking can cause. Many people know firsthand. So the real question is, how can we all know this but have a country (USA) with such high rates of being overweight?
My opinion for everyone, not just healthcare workers, is a mix of many things: convenience foods are usually disproportionate in satiety and caloric cost and are available just about everywhere, human biology sends out pleasure responses to convenience foods, addiction, distortion of portion sizes, a shift in industry to require less physical labor, emotional connections to childhood foods ... the list goes on and on. A mix of the individual and society. It may not be impossible for most of us to lose weight, but the influence the mix of the above has on each of us can vary and affect how easy or difficult it is.0 -
This is what I said only a wordier version. Nicely said.Just because they are in the healthcare field doesn't mean they don't have their own demons, flaws, and addictions.
Many of us on MFP know what we "should" do, but we are here because we struggle with it. I don't know why it would be any different for them.0 -
If and when you work as a nurse, then you can say this.You have no idea how stressful it is in the healthcare industry. Some floor nurses have a 6 to 1 ratio, and there are times when breaks are IMPOSSIBLE. Patient safety and care come first our breaks are secondary. You can't plan around patients coding or having low blood sugar etc.....Yeah next time I have a patient that has low blood sugar at my breaktime, I will take my break first then deal with their blood sugar, that is if they aren't in a diabetic coma.Sorry but all I hear are excuses for being overweight. I'd bet a pretty penny that most overweight medical staff had weight issues before they started working in the medical field and continue down the same path. There are ZERO excuses for eating junk. Plan your meals ahead, time is not an excuse FIND TIME! Period, end of story! Point has already been made, would you pay a personal trainer who is fat? NO! So why take healthy advise from an overweight nurse or doctor? Problem with the current society is people don't want to hear the truth. If you're obese then you're obese, it's not like people don't notice. No one is saying you being fat prevents you from relaying information read from a book about how to be healthy. The problem is you giving advise that you don't adhere to, plain and simple.
To the ones complaining about people being judgmental. You yourself are/have been judgmental to others in some way shape or form before so get off your high horse! You only have a problem with profiling now because it involves YOU!
I tell people this all the time, if you think you are incapable of doing your job and taking good care of yourself then find another profession. If your work place violates your employment rights then report them. Until then you are doing nothing but making an excuse.0 -
I work in a nursing home, which is not as high stress of an environment as a hospital, and many of the people I work with do only work 9-5, so the weird hours thing people keep talking about doesn't really apply to the things I'm observing.
You are sadly mistaken. I worked day shift in a nursing home and it was MORE stressful than the hospital. Why? Because I had 30 patients that I had to medicate who were also falling, bleeding, running fevers, having srokes and heart attacks, developing wounds.. instead of 6. Not only were there 30 patients, resources like x-rays and lab work couldn't be done "stat" like in a hospital. It was my job to keep these people, whose days are often numbered, alive. So tell me this..how can I possibly monitor 30 people at once? No one can. People die who shouldn't and the blame is always on the nurse. Not the disease process, or age, or the system in general, it is my fault..and that is VERY stressful and the main reason I left the nursing home.0 -
There are ZERO excuses for eating junk. Plan your meals ahead, time is not an excuse FIND TIME! Period, end of story!
I hope that one day, in your time of need, a nurse takes her lunch break and leaves you to fend for yourself. Let us know how that works out for you. Oh, let me guess..YOU are perfect and will never need a nurse, right?0 -
Nurses who smoke boggle my mind, but I think nothing is someone is over-weight.0
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I work in a nursing home, which is not as high stress of an environment as a hospital, and many of the people I work with do only work 9-5, so the weird hours thing people keep talking about doesn't really apply to the things I'm observing.
You are sadly mistaken. I worked day shift in a nursing home and it was MORE stressful than the hospital. Why? Because I had 30 patients that I had to medicate who were also falling, bleeding, running fevers, having srokes and heart attacks, developing wounds.. instead of 6. Not only were there 30 patients, resources like x-rays and lab work couldn't be done "stat" like in a hospital. It was my job to keep these people, whose days are often numbered, alive. So tell me this..how can I possibly monitor 30 people at once? No one can. People die who shouldn't and the blame is always on the nurse. Not the disease process, or age, or the system in general, it is my fault..and that is VERY stressful and the main reason I left the nursing home.
I'm sorry you had such a stressful experience in your time there. It sounds like there were understaffing problems. IN MY EXPERIENCE, it is a less stressful environment. Don't act like I'm dumb and tell me I'm "sadly mistaken" because I know what I've observed and I know what I've experienced.
I don't know why this thread got so focused on nurses specifically because I never said anything about that... I work with nurses, STNAs, therapists, social workers, etc. and like I've already stated I think they are all wonderful people who provide excellent care for our residents.0 -
From what I understand, hospitals and other medical facilities run nurses and interns half to death with no concern for their physical or mental health and little concern for their ability to sustain that pace and still give good treatment.
You want to do something about it? Get together with others and lobby for laws that force companies to consider the well being of both staff and the people they treat.
I'm not saying that's always the problem, there are overweight, unhealthy people in all jobs, but a high stress job with long, weird hours is a recipe for ill health. There was a recent thread with a post by a hospital worker who goes through 10+ hour shifts without even having time for a sip of water. And you want nurses to watch what they eat? They don't even have time to fight off dehydration!0 -
I don't know why this thread got so focused on nurses specifically because I never said anything about that... I work with nurses, STNAs, therapists, social workers, etc. and like I've already stated I think they are all wonderful people who provide excellent care for our residents.
Unfortunately your original post does paint a rather unique 'picture' of what you stated. Here is a segment of your OP:However, I'm currently a dietetic intern at a nursing home. Nearly every resident has some sort of nutrition related diagnoses - hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, osteoarthrosis, GERD, IBS, sleep apnea, heart disease, etc. Of course they are all on a million different medications as well. My question is, when you are working around patients/residents who have these conditions and you can clearly see the impact of a poor diet in so many different manifestations, why wouldn't you be doing something to take control of your own health so you can avoid those things in the future? We were sitting in a meeting at 9am the other morning and I noticed an employee eating a candy bar and a bag of Doritos. At lunch a lot of people eat salads with bacon, cheese, creamy dressing, etc. Are they just oblivious or are they under the impression that "it's not going to happen to them"? A lot of the employees are very overweight as well. Why do I see so many unhealthy choices being made?
1.) You are currently a dietetic intern at a nursing home. In all honesty, where you havent mentioned how long you are interning or whether or not you did healthcare prior to going into dietetics, "Intern" is someone who is either still in school learning, or they are fresh out of school and acclimating to a new job to obtain the necessary hours to go from intern to fully established. In my mind, you havent seen the true full scope of all specialties - you are only in a nursing home that has specialty-physicans who come in on designated days, or perhaps have regular schedules there.. You really dont have a full grasp of knowing what an ER MD or RN, or any clinical person's schedule is like on good days or bad days.
Your position does not involve in anyway shape or form, to have to get involved when a patient 'crashes', when a patient goes in for either minor or major surgery, or when a patient slips and falls, youre not in a position that gets involved in that. In fact, dieticians dont get involved in any sort of physical-related patient care - its not in their job description. Thats just the facts.
Out of 17 years, I spent 6 years doing a lateral clinical position working in direct patient care, obtained a certification in Medical Assisting for Provider based care, obtained my LNA for direct-patient care for both nursing home, assisted living, home-health-hospice with subspecialties. Ive worked along side some amazing RN's and MD's of all sizes and shapes... We are on our feet almost 90% of the time during normal shifts. Normal meaning, no catastrophic situations arising.... when hell broke loose, we are on our feet 100% of the time. Its basic survival for us while we fought for those who we were trying to help keep alive, administer care, and hope they make it to the next 'rounds'.
In that time frame, if we could get a cup of coffee in us it would be a flipping miracle! I worked for a surgeon who bought us all dinner one night on a night that we thought was going really smooth, and then all hell broke loose. We went straight 8 hours of incoming trauma calls just to stabilize our patients. That dinner was put away by one of our secretaries so it wouldnt go bad.... We didnt eat that until just about shift change.
When you are in environments like hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, etc where chaos enfolds at a second's notice, eating healthy gets thrown out the window because the priorities lie within the patient's need.
Dieticians never ever get involved in that type of environment where they initiate direct care, ergo you dont understand 'the other side'. Especially "interns"....
What you 'see' in documentation is based on the patient's current health data and what was documented for the patient to either adhere or restrict their food-related needs
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What an RN or MD sees (or any clinic-based clinician), are the results of the health data, the current care plan that is about to be created, the referrals that will need to be made, the decision making necessary to determine if meds are due, surgery is needed and/or if the next of kin needs to be contacted for terminal-related decision making. They are focusing on the patient's health as the top priority.
We healthcare providers (the ones who do full patient care, surgery, clinical analysis, etc) know full well what we should be doing but when the patient's health warrants our undivided attention - that one shred of focus lost because "OH MY GAWD, Im on the same road as HE is!"...we lose focus on the patient's care thus a potential to increase the risk of injury to the patient, unversal precautions might be unintentionally ignored, we forget to apply the "5 R's" of patient care, and worse, lose focus on the patient's immediate needs and potentially losing them to death because we got emotionally dettached from the patient but overwhelmed on our own issues.
Im sorry but Im going to side with the RN's, LNA's, Clinicians, Therapists and especially the administrative staff - unless you have the ability to leave your Dietician Intern position for one shift (just one) and be left with no choice but to go hours and hours with out eating a meal and scrambling for a bag of chips or that slice of pizza, without consuming water, and have no sleep because a major healthcare situation requires everyone's attention, you just dont have the right to pass judgement without fully knowing what its like to be in their shoes.
You are too new in your position (you are an Intern afterall) - you havent seen it all yet. I would like to encourage you to ask during your internship to job-shadow in an ER for a few shifts, if they allow it. Go to a hospital that specializes in Trauma, High Risk Surgeries, etc..... you wont be so quick to jump and think we healthcare providers dont care about our own health. Our jobs put others first ...0 -
By the way - bacon, cheese, creamy dressing.
September 2011, I dropped breads, rice, corn, pasta, flour completely from my intake.
I had myself plenty of home-cured bacon, cheese and homemade creamy dressings...
My total cholesterol in a four month span went from 252 DOWN to 117, my A1C went from 11.2 DOWN to 5.2 and that my friend, made my Endocrinologist extremely impressed.
And many of my patients at work have done the same and have lost plenty of weight, and have numbers like mine on their labs as well.
And that.... is all she wrote!0 -
By the way - bacon, cheese, creamy dressing.
September 2011, I dropped breads, rice, corn, pasta, flour completely from my intake.
I had myself plenty of home-cured bacon, cheese and homemade creamy dressings...
My total cholesterol in a four month span went from 252 DOWN to 117, my A1C went from 11.2 DOWN to 5.2 and that my friend, made my Endocrinologist extremely impressed.
And many of my patients at work have done the same and have lost plenty of weight, and have numbers like mine on their labs as well.
And that.... is all she wrote!
I like what you wrote, since I just started Atkins. Tired of the cravings bread products trigger and hoping it will help my allergies/breathing woes.0 -
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I'm sorry you had such a stressful experience in your time there. It sounds like there were understaffing problems. IN MY EXPERIENCE, it is a less stressful environment. Don't act like I'm dumb and tell me I'm "sadly mistaken" because I know what I've observed and I know what I've experienced.
I don't know why this thread got so focused on nurses specifically because I never said anything about that... I work with nurses, STNAs, therapists, social workers, etc. and like I've already stated I think they are all wonderful people who provide excellent care for our residents.
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What you have observed are nurses who practice by the theory of "Be calm on the surface but paddle like h*** underneath." They make look calm and may even smile but that doesn't mean they are not stressed. I can't comment on anything other than nursing because that is what I do. I have no idea how anyone else feels. YOU are not a seasoned nurse or any of these other professions and unitl you are, and understand what they are going through..show some compassion for felow co-workers. There is no room for judgement in the healthcare profession.0 -
So I know your not trying to be judgmental about unhealthy people working in the health field, but did you even realize how that was going to come off to people who have the illnesses you listed. I have never in my life blamed IBS on my diet, because its creation is in no way related. Half the time attacks are not even related to what I am eating. Maybe, since he is a professional, he knows that and doesn't view it the way that you do.
People with IBS have a horrendous time with diets. For me personally I can only drink whole organic milk and white bread. I cant eat fish. Most fruits and vegetables make me ill. Orange juice is completely out of the question. Stress affects it. Drastic temperature changes affect it. Smells affect it. The medications make you gain weight because they assume you are losing so much being ill.
I have a heard time taking advice from people who do not understand what having this issue is like and how it affects you life.
What upsets me about your post, is that it reads like you are saying it is the fault of the patients that they are sick. I was a competitive gymnast when I was diagnosed as a child. My diet was in no way bad and I was very healthy. It is not my fault that I am sick.
I understand your frustration with people in the health industry who do not take care of themselves as they should (i.e. nurses and doctors who smoke). I just dont think you meant it as it came across. People are very touchy about their illnesses. I hope this doesnt come off like I am attacking you. I just wanted to make you aware of how it sounded and explain why it got a negative reaction from me.
Everyones gotta have an excuse for being fat. I have a close friend with IBS, she has been through hell with it and weights 130 lbs. She takes responsibility for her illness and her own actions.
I don't understand "She take responsibility for her illness" How do you take responsibility for IBS when it can strike at anytime relating to food or not. I can wake up at 4am and have an episode untill 12pm not eat anything. It does not matter what you eat with IBS it can hurt you at any time.
That and I am not using it as an excuse for being fat... what I am saying is that I was healthy when diagnosed so unhealthy eating didnt CAUSE my illness. Good for your friend with IBS. It is awesome that she has it under control (whatever that means). I know many thin people with IBS... I am overweight (the term fat is kind of rude) because I am less than active, I like large portions of food and I didnt really care to change it... but I should also tell you, you can never compare one case of IBS to another... they are all their own... it isnt like other illnesses or allergies where everyone reacts the same. We all have different things we cant eat or be around and when we eat them we all react differently. I know people with much worse cases than myself. The only thing I really blame on my illness is my occasional inability to go somewhere and turning down certain foods offered by others.0 -
On the subject of IBS, I was diagnosed with it during nursing school, I also could not go anywhere and limited what I ate in the hope of controlling it. What I ended up having to do was go on Levsin. It was wonderful. I weaned myself off it after I graduated and have not had an attack since. I feel it was totally stress related.So I know your not trying to be judgmental about unhealthy people working in the health field, but did you even realize how that was going to come off to people who have the illnesses you listed. I have never in my life blamed IBS on my diet, because its creation is in no way related. Half the time attacks are not even related to what I am eating. Maybe, since he is a professional, he knows that and doesn't view it the way that you do.
People with IBS have a horrendous time with diets. For me personally I can only drink whole organic milk and white bread. I cant eat fish. Most fruits and vegetables make me ill. Orange juice is completely out of the question. Stress affects it. Drastic temperature changes affect it. Smells affect it. The medications make you gain weight because they assume you are losing so much being ill.
I have a heard time taking advice from people who do not understand what having this issue is like and how it affects you life.
What upsets me about your post, is that it reads like you are saying it is the fault of the patients that they are sick. I was a competitive gymnast when I was diagnosed as a child. My diet was in no way bad and I was very healthy. It is not my fault that I am sick.
I understand your frustration with people in the health industry who do not take care of themselves as they should (i.e. nurses and doctors who smoke). I just dont think you meant it as it came across. People are very touchy about their illnesses. I hope this doesnt come off like I am attacking you. I just wanted to make you aware of how it sounded and explain why it got a negative reaction from me.
Everyones gotta have an excuse for being fat. I have a close friend with IBS, she has been through hell with it and weights 130 lbs. She takes responsibility for her illness and her own actions.
I don't understand "She take responsibility for her illness" How do you take responsibility for IBS when it can strike at anytime relating to food or not. I can wake up at 4am and have an episode untill 12pm not eat anything. It does not matter what you eat with IBS it can hurt you at any time.
That and I am not using it as an excuse for being fat... what I am saying is that I was healthy when diagnosed so unhealthy eating didnt CAUSE my illness. Good for your friend with IBS. It is awesome that she has it under control (whatever that means). I know many thin people with IBS... I am overweight (the term fat is kind of rude) because I am less than active, I like large portions of food and I didnt really care to change it... but I should also tell you, you can never compare one case of IBS to another... they are all their own... it isnt like other illnesses or allergies where everyone reacts the same. We all have different things we cant eat or be around and when we eat them we all react differently. I know people with much worse cases than myself. The only thing I really blame on my illness is my occasional inability to go somewhere and turning down certain foods offered by others.0 -
I got *****ed out before because I was trying to make this exact point on a different forum months ago... This poor lady, went to the doctor, and a very overweight nurse was telling her about watching her diet... That she was overweight... It kinda irritated the lady/patient because the nurse, should take her own dang advise. Whats good for the goose, is good for the gander.. Is that what they say? I worked in a long term care facility for a SHORT time, and it seemed that the other heathcare workers were not setting a good example either. Im sure there are many that do set a great example, and take good care of themselves.. Just the percentage is lower than we should expect. Thanks for reinforcing this theory. Cause I believe this too.
Sometimes people care more about others than themselves.0 -
To be honest, I wont pass judgement.
I work in healthcare... The health system I work in has well over 300+ physicians of well over 30 different areas of medicine and combined medicinal therapies.
The OBGYN that delivered my daughter 19 years ago was a hispanic older gentleman who did have some pounds on him, but I didnt take that into consideration of his ability to affectively give care. The man saved my life as I was rolled into emergency surgery to have a C-section.
My PCP is a man who has known me for 22 years and knows that prior to taking me on as his patient, he knew the abuse I put up with from other PCP's who just didnt give two craps about the mysterious problems I was going through. He didnt toss me aside. The man was my mother's favorite customer - she used to serve him and his family dinner.. and the man ate some pretty unhealthy meals from time to time... I didnt care because that was done on his personal time. He helped me avoid being quarantined when my liver was failing due to extreme high doses of insulin was flooding my body right as I was about to be hospitalized.
My Dermatologist is a loving and caring individual, shares a practice with his wife. The man is unfortunately gaunt for someone 6'5", but does his best considering he too, has problems. I honor the ground the man walks on as he helped me with my hair-loss problem and made no judgement against me. I just had my last visit with him, and I cried knowing I wasnt going to be seeing him again because he was just that damn good of a doctor, but also a friend. Out of all his patients, I willingly chose to be part of a case study for women dealing with a number of medical problems like I am. He trusted me as a fellow medical professional, a patient and friend to give him the data he needed.
We are all human beings with a variety of problems going on, whether work-related, personal related, health-related, etc. What right do I have to pass judgement on them? Absolutely none whatsoever.
I don't think the point of this was to say that they can't do their jobs properly, I think the point was when you see the end result of someone who is overweight (or smokes, drinks, does drugs, and a number of other things that we all know are bad for us) wouldn't that make you want to change your habits, so that you don't end up in the same position.0 -
I am also getting my nutrition together, as I would LOVE to work in health promotion or become a nutritionist and I believe in practicing what I preach!0
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I for one work crazy hours, sometimes 4 different shifts on the same schedule. I never know when i am supposed to be awake, asleep, or eating. I rarely get 6 hours of sleep. When i work rover shift i usually get 4 hours of sleep before i need to be up and taking care of my family needs. Also, during work I am lucky if i can sit down to a meal, we wear pagers and are on the move and never have a real break.
After having my baby and gaining 40lbs, it was very difficult to start the weight loss i believe mostly due to my worklife (along with my familylife). I work full time and had a newborn while my husband also worked shiftwork.
And guess what...I never lost any of my knowledge while being 40lbs heavier. And i dont recall gaining any more knowledge or skills as the weight came back off. Imagine that.
Edit to say...I did want to change my habits, I DID see all those obese patients who were chronically ill, and I did make a change. But it took me a while to get it together.0 -
There are ZERO excuses for eating junk. Plan your meals ahead, time is not an excuse FIND TIME! Period, end of story!
I hope that one day, in your time of need, a nurse takes her lunch break and leaves you to fend for yourself. Let us know how that works out for you. Oh, let me guess..YOU are perfect and will never need a nurse, right?
while i half heartedly agree with your statement that you should plan ahead regarding your meals, i completely disagree with your statement of FIND TIME!!!! mostly due to the other statement i have quoted here.
when you work a 9-5 job, or a desk job or one where you're home by 3p each day, it's probably relatively easy to plan out your meals, or get something healthy at the cafeteria or local venue.
when you work shift work, it's not all that uncommon for you to SKIP meals entirely! you could be running like a crazy person and work right through the typical cafeteria hours. hospital workers are not allowed more than 30 min to eat, and that means you are NOT LEAVING to go get lunch. and if you work 7a to 7p that means you got to work at 645 at the latest, had to change your clothes, scrub, and get report. if you live close to your job you might have had a chance to grab breakfast, or something to go as you left the house. but, you won't be able to stop in 3 hrs to make sure you grab that apple or carrots or hard boiled egg. and there is little to no guarantee that you'll get lunch 6 hrs after you got to work!!!
so, assuming you get your 30 min for lunch at 2p. and you're now starving because you haven't had much besides coffee and a protein bar at 6a, you can scarf down your lunch, and perhaps even pick at the tray that the drug reps have brought in to woo the docs to using THIER drugs...... then you work 5 more hours.
so, now, it's 7p, you still have to give report, hopefully your nurse relieving you is ON TIME. after that you have to go change and then head home. again, if you're lucky, you live close to work. some of my jobs were a ONE HOUR drive each way. so, now it's about 830 and you're trying to eat something for dinner. and exhausted. and HOPEFULLY the next day is your day off!!!
and night shift is even WORSE! you sleep all day long getting read for your 12 hrs. maybe even sleep through dinner. you get to work at 630/645p, get changed, get report and go to work. you might get to grab a snack at some point, but a 30 min break for "lunch" is not that common on night shift. they do a lot of work that is easier to do when patients are sleeping and families aren't visiting. you live on sugar and caffeine to keep you awake and hyped up. especially if you work with any kind of high acuity patients ( like ER or ICU). often the cafeterias don't open at all and if they do, it's for like 1.5 hrs and never when you can run down. so, you rely on vending machines, or snacks you bring from home. or stuff others have left during the day, or that same tray the drug rep left earlier. then again, you hope your relief comes ON TIME, give report, change and head home.
sometimes you literally fall into bed!!! other times you are wired from a really intense shift. either way, you rarely ever get 8 solid hours of sleep. and if you're lucky the next day is your day off.
and then you get to apply that to either every other weekend, or every third weekend!!!!!
you bring your job home with you A LOT. you worry constantly about things you could have done better or if you missed something. the stress in some nursing jobs is INSANE!!!!! i worked peds onc and i dealt with more kids dying than i ever imagined i would in my LIFETIME. THAT is stressful!!!!!!!! telling families that they're baby is not going to make it and they better drive as fast as humanily possible to hold their son or daughter one last time before he/ she dies, is INSANELY STRESSFUL!!!!!!!!!! have you ever had to make a call like that at 3a??? to a family that was an hour or more drive away? with a baby that probably had 1-2 hours to live????
have you ever had to tell a mom that her baby was too unstable to be held at that moment, but maybe tomorrow would be better? only to have that baby die over night????? have you ever coded a 3 yr old little boy in front of his parents? and then have to console them when he died? have you ever had to tell a single mom of 2 kids that her 2 yr old daughter's brain has herniated and she is brain dead and therefore needs to have life support removed??? have you ever been called a KILLER!?!?!?!
many nurses give up worrying about themselves because they are sooooo worried about their patients and their patients' families!0 -
I wanted to read everyone's post but it was impossible on my phone so I'll just add my two cents. I'm not a nurse. I'm not a doctor. I AM a phlebotomist for Red Cross and my work schedule (along with almost everyone else in the healthcare field) is very similar. I generally clock in between six a.m and eight a.m. From there, we hit the ground running. We are not allowed lunch time, and breaks are only permitted when we do not have donors waiting to give blood. One day we had one hundred people come in within the four hours we were there. We do not sit down. We stand and walk all day long. We load, unpack, and set up out own equipment. Later we pack up, load, and then unpack our equipment. No one does this for us. On a good day I am home before six or seven. On an average day I am working for thirteen hours.
I am overweight. I don't have time to eat at work, only once I get home. That slows down my metabolism and makes this journey very, very difficult. You can only understand this if you work in healthcare.0 -
I also have to add....I don't work three days a week, ten to twelve hour days. I work five days a week, ten to twelve hours a day. Anyone want to come cook healthy for me?0
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I also have to add....I don't work three days a week, ten to twelve hour days. I work five days a week, ten to twelve hours a day. Anyone want to come cook healthy for me?
If you find someone, send them to me next. Sumer isn't too bad, but come August, I work 7 days a week and prolly won't have a day off until mid October. fml0
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