Nearly every department is understaffed and under-resourced. Even when we are occasionally "full staffed," their definition doesn't take into account that on any day someone can use PTO/sick time, leaving the remaining staff scrambling. It makes you feel guilty for taking your allotted time off, even though you don't want it to expire.
There is also a very weird atmosphere when it comes to "higher ups" and VIP status. Our patients are treated poorly and suffer the consequences of inadequate staffing, but when someone important comes in everyone is terrified to make a mistake and expected to roll out the red carpet. Incredibly classist and dependent on the hard work of the support staff.
The patients are medically underserved and have a natural distrust of hospitals and medical staff, and I wish I could make them feel comfortable at SBH, but we are constantly letting them down, especially surgical patients whose procedures are almost always delayed.
