France – They are a doctor, nurse and caregiver, passionate about their profession, but have decided to leave the public hospital in recent months. The health crisis was sometimes the trigger, but the real unease runs deeper. Deterioration in working conditions, lack of resources, loss of sense of the profession, unattractive salary and lack of recognition are most often the evils cited by those who have resigned. Testimonials.
“Once gone, we wonder how we managed to stay all these years”, Dr Eugénie Taillardat, anesthesiologist in Lyon, 35 years old
” I left [de l’hôpital public] in November 2020 between two waves of the epidemic.
After a post-internship at Necker (2016-2018) and a trip around the world, I took a position in pediatric anesthesia-intensive care at the Hospices Civils de Lyon in June 2019, which I left in November 2020. I had passed the PH competition in March 2020 and I was to be established in July 2020 but I finally refused the position.
Dr Eugénie Taillardat
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While discussing with a contractual PH, I realized that by becoming PH, I was going to fall back to the first level and that I was going to lose 600 euros per month despite my three years of seniority (Since the Ségur de la Santé, the 3 first steps have been abolished to limit the loss of income at the start of a business, editor’s note).
I had no complaints about the working conditions at the HCL, which is one of the few pediatric hospitals with a full team. But I didn’t see a future for myself. I wanted to work part time to have free time and be able to do other things on the side.
By becoming a PH, I was going to fall back to the first level and that I was going to lose 600 euros per month despite my three years of seniority.
Today, I work two days a week, I do replacements in private clinics and in a public maternity hospital in Lyon. And I earn as much as if I were full time in the public hospital.
Once gone, we wonder how we managed to stay all these years. I’m not part of a team but it’s going very well. The only thing that worries me is that I don’t have long term visibility or job security.
Valerie Troadec
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During the Covid crisis, I did not have any more replacements to make in the clinic and in order not to find myself without a job, I left for three months to do replacements in Martinique. Obviously, I wonder about my future because the salaried activity has the advantage of being less precarious.
“After 19 years of career, I was earning 1500 euros gross per month”, Valérie Troadec, ex-nursing assistant at the CH de Cherbourg converted to home help, 53 years old
“I worked for 19 years as a nursing assistant at the public hospital, including 18 years in intensive care. I loved my job but over the last five years or so, the context has deteriorated from all points of view. We suffer from a lack of consideration. Not only was I poorly paid, but I had difficulty, like my colleagues, in taking my time off. We were reminded all the time on the days off to replace those absent. There is a lot of absenteeism because the situation has become very difficult.
I loved my job but over the last five years or so, the context has deteriorated from all points of view.
We no longer have the time to take care of patients, the system is mistreating. We didn’t always have time for lunch, or I ate in the ward because we were likely to be called at any time by a doctor or a patient’s family.
After 19 years of career, I was earning 1,500 euros gross per month without bonuses (70 euros on Sundays). I had to be increased by 100 euros in 19 years. And at 80 cents an hour at night, we didn’t rush to work an extra night. I was fed up with it. I thought about it for two years before I left the hospital. I had a physical problem, tendonitis in my shoulder, and had to be stopped for 9 months. I resumed in therapeutic half-time, finally, I was made to work for 12 hours a day two days a week instead of 4 …
And then I was put back on full time and the other shoulder gave out. During the Covid epidemic, I offered to help in a vaccination center but was told it was too complicated.
We no longer have the time to take care of patients, the system is mistreating.
I negotiated a conventional break in early 2021 and left last July. It was a relief. Of course, it’s scary to leave the hospital, but I don’t regret a thing.
I started in July in home help. I didn’t want to leave the treatment. I help people take meals, get dressed, do their shopping or just go with them on outings. I also do art therapy, memory workshops with patients suffering from Alzheimer’s. People pay me Cesu checks (18 euros per hour) and I earn as much as before by simply starting my activity. Result, I feel better, I manage to find serenity with the people I take care of. “
“For all the gold in the world, I will not come back to the AP-HP, they disgusted me”, IT, AP-HP nurse manager on availability, 43 years old
“I worked for 20 years as a nurse and then for the last 3 years as a nurse manager at AP-HP. I made myself available a little over a year ago because I felt fed up, being absolutely not supported by my hierarchy. As a fixed-price executive, I had to work 7.48 hours a day, I was theoretically free to organize myself but I regularly worked 12-hour days, between meetings and phone calls to find staff. Interface between the management and the teams, I had to continually manage absences and face a strong absenteeism, call colleagues to ask them to work overtime during their days off to fill in the gaps.
In a few months, out of 12 nurses in a service, 10 resigned because they were in arrears.
We went so far as to pay for taxis to bring in colleagues who live in the great suburbs because we had no one on those days. I saw nurses managing 60 single beds because there was not enough staff. In a few months, out of 12 nurses in a service, 10 resigned because they were in arrears. We only worked with temporary workers. The climate has become deleterious. The job had become so hard that I went to work with a stomach ache, I had nightmares.
I asked to be able to follow a one-year training course to reorient myself. The management first told me “yes” and then no longer supported my project on the pretext that it lacked executives. They asked me to postpone my two-year project by threatening not to ensure my salary if I did not comply. It was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. I made myself available, I followed this course while working as a liberal IDE to be able to finance it and to live.
I finished my training and I have already received several proposals to integrate supervisory structures but I am in no hurry. I need time to recover. I have already thought about going into the private sector or changing jobs, but I have always been afraid of not making the right choice. I wonder about the continuation but one thing is certain. For all the gold in the world, I won’t be going back to the AP-HP. They disgusted me.
The job had become so hard that I went to work with a stomach ache, I had nightmares.
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