Sent an email out on Tuesday asking if there was any community mental health work so I can get off the ward for a bit. Always wanted to do it so just a casual email. On Thursd I had management and the boss of one of the community teams offer me 6 weeks starting Monday. Great? Turns out someone else was lined up to start but they’ve dumped him as he’s not as experienced. Now I feel crap like I’m screwing him over. I don’t know him that well but we work together on the ward, he’s quite new. Apparently he’s upset at losing the role. Now most people think it’s all fair enough but I think management have screwed him over and I feel guilty somehow.

My wife thinks it’s all good and I’m projecting my nervous-ness about the secondment onto this. Others have said I deserve the chance and his time will come. I need to know if they canned him after I sent the email out.

Always wanted to do community, it’s the early intervention psychosis team which is great, just what I want, but after the 6 weeks I’ll be back on the ward and working with him.

Should I just MTFU and accept it? Would he feel guilty if the shoe was on the other foot and I’d lost out? Am I just over analysing?

Gotta go to the office for a handover today, I’m really going to have to pick up lots in a very short space of time.

Argh damn my mind.

Gotta go to the office for a handover today, I’m really going to have to pick up lots in a very short space of time.

Sounds like it’s going to be a tough gig coming into it from the outside (especially for just 6 weeks) which is probably why you got it ahead of the other guy. Maybe he needs a bit more help/support and they think you can hit the ground running.

If you don’t ask you don’t get in the world. Ask you bosses about the other guy if you want, be prepared for a stock answer. If there are only 6 week secondments then his time will come.

It’s the job of management to deliver the best results with the resources they have. However management should put something in place to help the other guy step up if he is capable.
It’s up to you to get the most out of it you can.

Anyway it’s Friday, grab a cold one kick back and enjoy the cricket this evening 🙂 (if you are still over in WA??)

Yeah still here…Bought a house in Feb so not leaving now.

Handover at 1pm and on the ward at 3pm until 930.

It does appear I’m over thinking and blaming my conscience for all these doubts. It will be tough but I’m so sick of the ward, I need a change and when I do start applying for community roles full time then this will look good on my resume.

Sounds like a good thing 🙂 Just put the over thinking brain in the box and get stuck in.

I used to be careful not to tread on colleagues when looking for progression, then it became clear that it doesn’t usually work the same way when the tables are turned. Every man for himself, although perhaps a chat with the guy might help, like you say, it wasn’t intentional/not aware etc, you’ve been waiting for ages for the opportunity.

If it was me I’d just have a chat on the guy who missed out, after all it was management who canned him, you just asked a question. Life is too short to worry this much about it!

I understand where your coming from. But ultimately that’s a management decision. They had their reasons for making that choice.

Very similar to where I am, just taken a new role. I don’t know the circumstances of the previous encumbent departure, but that person wasn’t right for one reason or another. You can’t help but feel for them, it’s a tough gig to be replaced.

Slightly awkward when they popped back in to meet some folk for lunch. AWKWARD……..

Ok I going to buck the trend here.

Yes it’s unfair, the position should be advertised for all staff to have the chance to apply and there should be a selection process. What’s happened there isn’t right, how can anyone get experience if you don’t let them?

I’m with Maxray on this.

they’ve dumped him as he’s not as experienced

Outcomes for patients are the most important thing in healthcare. If the manager had the choice of 2 employees and one can provide better help to his patients then it would be negligent of him to continue down the path of taking on the lesser experienced person.

It seems that the manager has had the courage to let this other person down and potentially upset them in order to provide the best care they can.

Good luck with your new role and respect – it is an incredibly valuable job that I could never do.

You haven’t screwed him over. If anybody has it was the management team. And there is probably more backstory to this than you know. Not your problem. Keep nose out, keep mouth shut, keep ears open and learn as much as you can and get on with the job is my advice.

If you only mentioned it on Tuesday, and you’re on the job on Monday, it sounds like the lack of secure forward planning (undermanning?)is screwing everyone over every day. Who’ll be picking up your ward shifts? And what notice will they have had? Don’t beat yourself up over this one.

I think it’s refreshing that your worried about someone else, theses days everyone seems to be out for them selfs often at someone else’s deficit. If your worried speak to the bosses and ask otherwise enjoy the experience and maybe suggest the other chap for the next 6 wk period

If you had went to management and back stabbed him, detailing his deficiencies etc, that would be screwing him over. You haven’t done that, what you have done is perfectly acceptable.

Should I just MTFU and accept it? Would he feel guilty if the shoe was on the other foot and I’d lost out? Am I just over analysing?

You may not be over-analysing, but the fact is, management thought you were more fit for the role. Take that as a compliment.

If the other guy is decent at what he does, as well as a decent human being, his time will come. When there is only one role and management have to choose whom they think will do the job, someone will always lose out. In this case, it was the other guy. Hopefully, he will get another chance at something else in the future.

Best of luck in your new role, by the way – even if it is temporary. I used to work with community-based, mental health outpatients and loved it.

Priority here is the patients so take the job you’re the best person for it. The other guy has been let down by management shoddy practice by them, which isn’t your fault.Keep an eye on management in future is bad practice a recurring theme? I would want to offer the other guy an explanation at some point in the near future but not sure how I would go about it possibly away from work.

If you’d known the role was available before it was offered to the other person you’d probably have applied and got it and they would be no worse off.

With you off the ward for a bit maybe they’ll gain useful experience there that they wouldn’t have so it’s not a complete ‘lose’ for them.

As per Drac – if the community role was known to be available why didn’t you hear about it sonner?

So first day today. All good. Turns out the other guy was not experienced at all. Wasn’t “mental health” trained, only 3 months on the ward, and hadn’t given a depot (long lasting anti-psychotic injection) so he didn’t lose out.

And for all the people asking why it wasn’t advertised… Was covering annual leave that was booked at Christmas… very last minute cover. If they had gone down the EOI route it would have shown a) some management planning this b) a long drawn out process of applications and interviews. Not ideal but hey, that seems to be how our health service is run!

One thing I’ve learnt over the years is always looks after number one. Do whatever you can to better yourself.
You didn’t stab anyone in the back, you asked and it seems you were the best for the job. Don’t feel guilty.

Sounds like it’s going to be a tough gig coming into it from the outside (especially for just 6 weeks) which is probably why you got it ahead of the other guy. Maybe he needs a bit more help/support and they think you can hit the ground running.

Quite, plus you go back to the ward with some real life experience which you can pass on to hm making him more prepared for the role should it come up again (and with the piss-poor planning you management seem to be capable of that shouldn’t be too far away). Benefits him in the long run. Maybe.

Well done mate, enjoy – if thats appropriate.

So I’m 4 weeks in and loving it. And it looks like another team is a staff member down due to family issues and going back to India as his mom’s sick. Looking doubtful to go back to the ward. I’m obviously doing ok despite my self doubts! I’ll have to go back to 5 days a week not 4 but it does mean no more weekend shifts. The last 4 weekends have been awesome with the fam and even managed a night out with the missus. I do miss the ward and it’s a huge responsibility having a case load. Friday afternoons are tense as you never know what will happen.

Next step is getting my amp (approved mental health practitioner) so I can section people in the community if everything else goes pear shaped.

So I’m now in the very sweet position.. Kids, wife, house and the “dream” job. Now to set some new goals!

Good one! Sounds like a good outcome. I’ll say hello if fsh ever get themselves sorted and get me over 🙂 most important question still getting time on the bike?

Lol fsh monumental cock up.

No more time on the bike bar commuting but have been told I can buy a new bike in feb for my 40th. Means months of research ahead.

Enjoy the demo rides, it’s not as if the other lot I’m working with are pch….. May go the same way.

Lots of my mates who went to fsh have quit… What do you do?