Is your work making you sick!. What an interesting topic, something so…
By: Jodi Campbell
Tags: Work Life Balance, Mentalhealth, Courage, Workplace Safety, Wellness

What an interesting topic, something so many of us never think about. As health professional I never realised that my work was making me sick until it was too late. I am writing this because I am sure I am not alone and that there are many others with similar experiences but to frightened to speak out.

I left school to train as a nurse, I had no idea as a young 18 year old high school graduate what my new found career would do to my mental and physical wellbeing over time. I also did not know or understand the hierarchical system that I was entering and that it was a time of very little safe guards. It was 1990 just pre the gulf war and I thought I was in a modern work force and modern world.

I was one of approximately 25 student enrolled nurses to begin training in school 135 of the May of 1990. We were all excited for the future and the opportunity to care for others and make a difference in the world. Sadly we were taught manual handling the old fashioned way cradle lifts and shoulder lifts, pivot stands.

Hard to believe in todays world of no lift and OH&S laws that nursing schools of 1990 could still have been teaching us practices that would knowingly cause injury to us with no respect for our wellbeing. Lifting machines where readily available back then but rarely used.

I share this information because nurses in Australia every day are being injured emotionally and physically and we don’t have a system that looks after them even in 2020. Sadly our nurses who care for us when we are sick, who provide us with empathy, care and hope in times of need are left broken and our system does not have ability to provide them with adequate help or security for the future. Hospital management see injured nurses as a risk and rarely assist in their return to work.

I have been injured in the work place so many times and never took action until one day I couldn’t do it any more and I was so unwell I could not care any more. Unfortunately when I finally decided I needed to report what was going on and it was time to have a break I was quickly moved side ways. There was no phone call to enquire as to my wellbeing, just a note to ask for the return of equipment. Then in the months to follow a letter of termination. This story is unfortunately a very familiar story for many broken nurses.

After 18 months of therapy and loads of family support and encouragement I have said good by to my broken career and 3 years of university training and 30 years of nursing experience. Unable to stomach the thought of ever working for an employer again to have my sense of freed om and power abused again.

So today I am rebuilding my a career in caring for others like me who have struggled with obesity due to stress and trauma. I am now a naturopath helping women just like me, many of whom are often in female dominated professions who have not looked after their health and been valued for their amazing contribution. I help these women to under stand the stress response and how it affects their hormones so they can lose weight and feel beautiful again. If you have a story of how the work place has made you sick I would love to hear it. Please feel free to message or email me so you can share your story also. I hope you enjoyed reading this and please feel free to share..