Where is the uprising?
This is a huge topic and I'm not sure why it isn't being talked about more here on the r/Radiology subreddit. The event is based on IR Techs and Nurses being forced, rather denied forcefully, into not being able to leave a job they don't want (ThedaCare) and work at a hospital that offers better pay and better work/life balance (Ascension).
It's an issue affecting Technologists and yet, the r/Nursing subreddit has a dozen discussions on it. Is this a microcosm of the bigger problem we have in radiology which is, we don't ever stand up for ourselves and have taken it on the chin for DECADES?
We have got to start discussing these issues and standing up for ourselves by whatever legal means necessary. Voting with our feet, unionizing, whatever it takes to protect ourselves, our income, our careers, and our mental health.
The Wrong Mantra
I think the decades-old strategy of "do more with less" has been a metastasizing cancer to the mentality in our healthcare systems. For years, healthcare culture has been to reduce staff, increase appointments, reduce full-time staff numbers, increase PRN staff, and provide less "work-life balance" for existing staff by having rotating shift coverage while satisfying an ever-increasing regulatory and insurance expectation.
Imaging, like other healthcare professions, is starting to feel the baby boomers who tolerated the changes and sometimes designed them, retire.
Generation X and Xennials are the "sandwich generation" and there are not very many of them. They have been burning the candles at both ends for decades, especially during the pandemic, teaching kids while schools were out, and taking care of elderly parents and grandparents while keeping their workplace going. They're ready to call it quits...
Millennials, Generation Y, and Nex Gens are not interested in healthcare, and even if they are, they do not want to work rotating shifts and they want more money because they took out ridiculous student loans.
Everyone in Generation Z wants to be able to work from home, set their own hours, and earn more than $100,000 per year.
The Answer
Something that has been perpetrated this long can't be solved overnight. But here are a few suggestions:
- If you aren't happy with your current employment, look elsewhere. As Jim Rohn used to say "IF you aren't happy where you're at, MOVE...you're not a tree." It worked for the ThedaCare employees.
- If your life circumstances make you feel as though you have no other employment choices, talk to human resources about your concerns. But know that HR's main function is to protect the company. Don't approach them with complaints, approach them with concerns. If nothing else, at least you now have a record of expressing your concerns to the human resources department. You should consider following up on your in-person visit with an email. Something simple that just states "Thank you for taking time to listen to my concerns about XYZ." Again, another record that you tried to be heard in case HR conveniently forgets.
- Consider writing emails TO YOURSELF when something occurs at your job that you are not happy about. Especially if you are angry about it...send it only to yourself. Capture all the facts of the event like date, time, who was present, and what they said to the best of your recollection. Keep this in an email folder somewhere other than your work email. If you ever lose your job, you will not have access to your work email. If the day ever comes when you feel you need to decide whether you should quit or not, review this journal that you have kept. Or it could come in handy if you ever have to defend yourself.
- Don't forget that Rad Techs are qualified for many different career paths. Not only can you go back to school for Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, RRA, Radiation Therapy, or other modalities (which may lead to you being able to leave your current employer for a better job) but you are also highly qualified for Application Specialists, Radiology Equipment Sales, Equipment Engineer (repairs), collegiate educator, traveling rad tech, veterinary radiography, radiation safety officer, and the list goes on.
- If you are burning out at your job, read this article. It lists 11 different causes for burnout in radiology and gives two suggestions for turning it around, for each problem. It reviews how to identify burnout and gives examples of how to reduce stress. It concludes with some signs of when it is time for you to quit.
- Never allow abuse from patients. Remain professional while standing up for yourself. Watch this video for a thorough discussion about dealing with patients under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, psych patients, prisoners, and just plain evil people. Your job is important but your safety is paramount. There were many nights on my shift that I refused to perform an exam on a belligerent patient until they were subdued. My safety comes first.
- Join groups of radiology peers where you can discuss issues with people who are likely to face the same issues. There are half a dozen Facebook groups for rad techs. This is the one I started three years ago and it has grown to over 4,000 members. I am impressed daily by the questions asked and more so by the number of answers given by caring, fellow technologists. Here's another great group, and this one too. If you don't like FB, this very subreddit is a great place to ask questions and receive support. I have been here for several years and continue to be impressed by the moderators. I'm sure you can find groups elsewhere as well and don't forget your local radiology societies and national societies.
Our jobs are hard. We see things we can't unsee like child abuse, spouse abuse, and major traumas. We are the last to get thanked, if ever, in our environment while other departments seem to get it daily. You have been through hell and back to get your license. You worked hundreds upon hundreds of hours for FREE (actually, you paid to work via tuition). You passed a difficult national board exam.
Don't sell yourself short.
You are Important. You Matter. Your Mistakes Do Not Define You. You Are Not Alone. Don't Give Up.
Dr. Ron Jones RT (R,CT) ARRT
P.S. You are always welcome to contact me...even if you just need to vent.
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/Radiology/comments/sc6ydv/ir_techs_win_the_case_against_employer_where_is/
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