frustrated with work (rant/vent)

I know everyone deals with BS at work, but I gotta get this out If I weren't having other health issues right now and if I didn't need my ins so much, I am sure I would be out the door right now. I cannot adjust to overnights, it has been almost 6 months, I just cannot sleep during the day, no matter what I try, (OTC) sleep aids (finally giving in and going to see a Dr about prescription stuff Tues), sleep masks, blacking out the windows.. I have tried going to bed first thing when I get home, staying up till noon, even staying up till 3 or 4 then heading to bed.. I usually end up with 4 hours of interupted sleep (something, I have no idea what, wakes me up between 10:30 and 11 every morning, I go back to sleep but wake every hour at least from then out) I get up about 1-1:30 and putter around with no energy feeling lousy.. I usually go to bed again between 6 and 8 pm and sleep till 10:30 before getting up to get ready to come in, and I am exausted all night, finding it harder and harder to stay awake, yet to fall asleep, but I have nodded off once or twice.. not good. I am at my wits end. The office won't move me, because I am needed as Alt Shift leader here... too high on the food chain for my liking.. the odd thing is, on my days off I sleep for my usual 4 hours in the am, then have no trouble going to bed at 10 or 11 pm and sleep right the night, which is why I have waited so long to get a prescription sleep aid (that and the fact, I don't want to be on one of those) I have been out sick more the past 6 months then I was the year and a half before that (not couting time off for surgery) Of course that is not the only thing going on... we had a change of management about 2 years ago, we went from being ruled with an iron fist to a free for all... no one cares about anything, write ups are not followed up on, we have many dispatchers who are not fit for the job and are going to get some one killed eventually,and at the least make us look incompetent to those in the field and the public but the office will not pursue our write ups.. our union is worthless, and our shop steward (not voted for by me) is all talk, no action. We have been working without a contract since 12-05, we are getting 5-7 dollars an hour less then surrounding counties (the commissioners say that is beacuse they are busier, and they are, but they also have 16 people per shift to our 4, 3 overnight, to compensate, it evens out if you ask me) It seems like the misfits and malcontents get what they want in terms of preferred shift, time off etc (one girl was allowed to schedule 3 sick days off to care for the boyfriend she was in the process of dumping to help "care" for him after a minor surgical proceedure) I am so fed up. At this point, I am going to look for another job, but need to wait till my arm "stuff" resolves.. I was hoping to make it until may, after my 1 yr anniversary from WLS, to cover the bllodwork and visit, but I don't know if I can last that long... CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow! I swear this post could have been written by someone working here...I think almost every point in there applies to our center, too. Don't worry...things will get better, I mean could they possibly get worse? Have you tried to get a doctor note to get you off the night shift? or maybe stepping down as a shift leader? Leak some info to the newspaper about the incompetance in there and get the public involved....maybe things would be resolved then.

Thanks for the support Sarita. I went tp my PC today and while he offered me the choice of a note or trying a sleep aid, I went for the sleep aid.. I don't want to be like another guy here, whiny and gets a Dr note for every little thing. I am trying to be a "team" player even as disgruntled as I am right now I still enjoy the job. I asked when they switched me if I refuse SL, would I still have to move, and was told yes... SO, the Dr gave me 3 days of samples of Lunesta, I will try it, see if it helps, if not I will go for the note and see what happens.

Brianna, I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner but I was on vacation - yeah I actually got to take a few days off - woo hoo! I think you need to do that too... I know, I know... I'm on night shift also (for the past 6 months), we work 12-hour shifts and I am having a hard time sleeping during the day also. I went to the doc's and she gave me Ambien, which is supposed to make you sleep for about 8-hours (I wake up after about 3 usually, so that didn't work because I'd have that "hang over effect" since I didn't sleep. That just isn't a good combination)... Sooooo, I told her there had to be something else. She told me about Sonata, which is supposed to help you sleep for only 4 hours - silly as it sounds it's working (so far). I normally can sleep for about 3 hours and then I wake up (wide awake), so this past week I've been taking a Sonata when I wake up and I sleep for about 3 1/2 more hours - it's been wonderful so far. I was like you and tried EVERYTHING before asking my doc, but everyone else here on nightshift has to take something also. I only take the Sonata when I'm on my 2nd or 3rd night in a row, since that first night is usually ok with little sleep. As for the rest... I understand your frustration... I work for 911 dispatch on the Marine Corps Base and we have hired "misfits and others who shouldn't be dispatchers" in the past, right now we seem to be ok on our side of the house. We are hiring if you wanna come to Jacksonville. DoD pays pretty well compared to the rest of this area. I do feel your pain girl! I am big on Officer Safety and get so mad when I think MY officers are being put into situations because of the dispatcher. But I'm not going to go there!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! BREATHE GIRL! Just remember to BREATHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Take a long hot bath and go back to work tomorrow.. ugh! A friend of mine has a jacuzzi and I just love getting in there when I'm stressed! Find a friend with a jacuzzi... lol! Otherwise, Keep your eye open for another position and good luck with your arm... Sheryl

I've been at my wits end many times with my job and the one thing I'm thankful for is that I've stuck it out because the good times far outweigh the bad. Not neccesarily in equal amounts of time but in that I love my job more now than I ever hated it. Because there was always a little vein of me loving my job even when I hated it. Sleep is one of those things I don't do well anymore regardless of what shift it is. I function better on nights though. I recommend trying to force yourself to stay up later for one. If you keep waking up at 10 or 11am, go to bed then and see if that doesn't work for you. Run your errands in the morning and stay up. Then see if you don't crash good with that later shift. Other than that, you can do what I do and that is psych yourself into it by saying "I can get by on 3 or 4 hours...I've done it before" and then catch up on the weekend. I know it's not the greatest, but over the years my body has gotten quite used to it. As for everyone else, I used to get wrapped up in all that and still do from time to time, but I discovered one key factor in my happiness and that was letting go of all the crap. I had to quit focusing on it and just started letting it slide and I ended up much happier. You know that saying about accepting what you cannot change....well, it's true. Sometimes you have to work to change things, but other times you can't. So you just focus on yourself and what is best for you and let all the other stuff be background noise. I know it is easier said than done. I've spent years learning it. But it does make a huge difference, and little steps to improve your center can make a big impact when you depersonalize it and not let yourself stress over it. Dina

Dina, I have tried staying up till noon, and 3 or 4 pm, but nothing seems to help. (black out the windows, sleep masks etc) I am still very frustrated with certain things around here.. and I am working with my Dr on the sleep issue, he has me taking Ambien now... but it isn't helping either... although I get 4 or 5 hours sleep instead of 3-4.. still not enough for me, and I am still very run down. All I can do is say I have tried, I really have, but this overnights is just not working for me. Hopefully next time I see him (later this week) he will give me a note stating I can't work overnights for health reasons.. I detest 4-12 shift, but at this point I would welcome it so I could sleep at night I try not to let things effect me, and to concentrate on doing my job the best I can but being Alt Shift leader and being in charge of someone who is totally incompetent it is difficult (the office, in their infinite wisdom, chose not to fire him during his probationary period because he was looking for another job, he has been looking since shortly after he started and can't find anything, or doesn't get hired, and now they will have a hard time getting rid of him, because they choose not to follow up on write ups, and drop the ball at every turn) The basic phone skills escape this man, it is very frustrating!! Thansk for the support! Y'all are great