RTE 'on call' for election

j.mcdrmd

I heard Aonghus McAnally on Mooney yesterday (filling in for Derek on Monday).
He was congratulation the staff of RTE for the long hours of broadcasting over the election sometimes until 4 in the morning.

He cited their stamina, the bags under eyes, the coffee intake and how well they were catered to.

It can be heard on Mondays broadcast from 6.14 to 7.15 on rte.ie. (Sorry, don't know how to do link).

Fair play to them for their concerted effort but it contrasts starkly with doctors working conditions which are not a one off.

People do not realise that doctors work incredibly long hours every day of the week. I didn't realise it myself until recently to be fair.

I was arguing the toss over this yesterday with a relation, not the intern one obviously. Their response was "ah, yeh, but thats only for the 1st couple of years while they are junior doctors, then they earn the big bucks", they simply don't believe the actual hourly rate received by doctors. It is easy to imagine I must be wrong when I try to explain about hours, not being paid etc. it sounds so ridiculous.

Please would some doctor consider writing a clear, calm, concise post spelling out to the public exactly how the system really works for doctors in 2011.

kiwipower

j.mcdrmd wrote: »

I heard Aonghus McAnally on Mooney yesterday (filling in for Derek on Monday).
He was congratulation the staff of RTE for the long hours of broadcasting over the election sometimes until 4 in the morning.

He cited their stamina, the bags under eyes, the coffee intake and how well they were catered to.

Ahhh Bless their poor little cotton socks!!!!!
How would the like to do it long term with no person to "cater" for them!

I do want to point out its not just Doctors that work the mad hours in hospitals many allied health workers, porters, cleaners and nurses all work extra hours as well. (Am a radiographer myself. Worked in one hospital, in Australia where I went to work at 7am on the Friday and didnot get home till 10pm on the Monday.)

At least them RTE ones sound like they got proper coffee and food. The number of times the 3am munchies and eye closures have come on me and I couldnt find any thing other than lead paint stripper mixed with Marmite to drink! and not even a dusty old polo mint to eat!

lonestargirl

kiwipower wrote: »

I do want to point out its not just Doctors that work the mad hours in hospitals many allied health workers, porters, cleaners and nurses all work extra hours as well. (Am a radiographer myself. Worked in one hospital, in Australia where I went to work at 7am on the Friday and didnot get home till 10pm on the Monday.)

I'm not dissing allied health professionals, I am one myself, but the reality is in Ireland we are not forced to routinely work the kinds of hours that doctors do. Maybe occasionally, but not week in week out year after year. They kind of hours put in by the RTE staff over the election were done by many doctors last weekend and will be done next weekend too.

I am the spouse of a doctor and I don't think even the families of those involved can really comprehend what it must be like to work 36 hours straight (not just being on-call but actually working).

@ j.mcdrmd
don't get me started on the people who think you are rich because you are a doctor. In Ireland himself was a doctor and I worked in allied health, here in the US he is a resident and I'm a PhD student. I both situations I earn more per hour than he does. Instances of people getting stupid amounts of overtime only occur when people are working ridiculous hours.

resus

RTE are more than welcome to send one of their lads to shadow a 27hr (awake) shift in ICU with me ! But one condition, they also shadow me on the full days I work prior to that shift in the week AND do the shifts after that 27hr on call, including the... wait for it... 2nd 27 hr on call during the weekend !