Rota

Another of my hats is as a deputy manager of a ward in the NHS. I am full time but fairly new to this job - although I was a ward manager in my time - and my colleague is part time and has been in this position for many many years.

When our unit opened, she went for the ward managers job but was beaten by someone below her from the ward - this went down like a lead balloon!!! That was almost 3 years ago now, but she still likes to try and get one up on the manger every now and then.

Since I came into post about 4 months ago now, she has tried to put me down at every opportunity, which I don't mind as most of the time she has fallen flat on her face! The most recent part though is about off duty!!!!

I have always said that I would never do off duty again because of the grief it causes. However, our ward manager has repeatedly asked the other deputy to take this on board, but she has failed to do it. So I have offered just to help out as the ward manager is getting more and more rubbish thrown at her and asked to go to this meeting and that meeting at a drop of a hat. I can't remember the last time she was able to work on the ward doing what she calls her proper job - caring for patients!

Of course the other deputy sister has gone up the wall about it as I haven't been trained to use the e-rostering recently introduced to the Trust - she has but has never tried to use it. So although the offer was there, it has never been taken up. That was until last week when I came into work on the Friday to an email and a really big sorry written in the ward diary, saying that she had been so tired that she had been unable to complete the off duty and could I do it for her. Not a problem I said.

Finally manged to get some time in the afternoon and 30 minutes later - a week of off duty had been produced! Now the advantage of doing the off duty is that you can usually give yourself the shifts you want and make sure that you are not working with the people you despise - the other deputy sister!! I am very honest, I have no respect for her and really find it difficult to tolerate her when at work - but being as professional of over 20 years, I hide it very well!

I have emailed this to the ward manager and hope that she will publish it soon as it is for next week!

I can see this job falling my way for the time being and of course to keep madam happy, I will be wasting - sorry spending - a day learning how to use the e-rostering - oh joy!! But the up side? I won't be working with her as much as I have been in the past!