Don't know who to turn to or what my future holds

SmallL

I graduated last year and was employed in December as a Support Worker in a hospital.
I have had 'active' eczema since my early teens and have reached the end of the road in terms of treatment, with only immune suppressants left to try.
I was going to apply to do nursing as I do really like my job however It has been suggested my my manager that I may not be suited for the healthcare sector ( I was in tears today from lack of sleep and frustration at my skin) and need to sort 'it' out before thinking about my future.

I'm really upset and at a loss of what to do, I feel like a liability to my manager and any future employer.

Should Ilook for a new job? Are there any organizations I can turn to for support?

Thank you for any advice, I really am lost at the moment.

agrinnall

I'd be surprised if you aren't already in touch with them, but the National Eczema Society would seem to be the people to talk to.

TBagpuss

which parts of nursing / care do you enjoy? And what are the triggers for your eczema?

I can see that f it is aggravated by wearing gloves / frequent washing/use of sanitizer etc then hands-on nursing may be very difficult. I am not an expert but being on immune suppressors and working in a medical environment may not be a good idea from the point of view of our own health.

It may be however that you could look at other types of healthcare work - there may be roles in areas of community care, counselling or advising which would not have the same issues.

Was your manager specific about why they feel you are not suited? were they saying that there are too many things which your eczema prevents you from being able to do?

SmallL

TBagpuss wrote: »

which parts of nursing / care do you enjoy? And what are the triggers for your eczema?

I can see that f it is aggravated by wearing gloves / frequent washing/use of sanitizer etc then hands-on nursing may be very difficult. I am not an expert but being on immune suppressors and working in a medical environment may not be a good idea from the point of view of our own health.

It may be however that you could look at other types of healthcare work - there may be roles in areas of community care, counselling or advising which would not have the same issues.

Was your manager specific about why they feel you are not suited? were they saying that there are too many things which your eczema prevents you from being able to do?

My eczema is very random, I can't put my finger on particular triggers (which is partly why I'm so frustrated).

My manager seemed to be more concerned with the number of days off I was having and the brevity of warning to having days off (Flare-ups come on quickly). She didn't seem to believe that I needed to go home (I suggested I go home after most the work was done, at about midday), she probed into WHY my eczema was upsetting me, this caused me to burst into tears and its quite a sore point and a major frustration in my life.

I have talked to occi health and they say being on immune suppressants is fine in my clinical area (Any area thats not respiratory due to TB risk or infectious diseases).

MissX

I'm sorry for sounding a little ignorant but why would you need to go home due to your eczema? Why can't you perform yor duties while you have a flare up? I'm sorry I don't understand. I understand it may be painful at times but does this really warrant a lot of time off work? I think that's your managers concern.

SmallL

MissX wrote: »

I'm sorry for sounding a little ignorant but why would you need to go home due to your eczema? Why can't you perform yor duties while you have a flare up? I'm sorry I don't understand. I understand it may be painful at times but does this really warrant a lot of time off work? I think that's your managers concern.

Firstly I wouldn't call 3 days lots of time (One day was an adverse reaction to a vaccine).
The main reason eczema is painful during a flare-up is due to chafing with clothes, I'm rarely sat down during work so this is a large issue. With enough chafing my skin 'swells' to protect itself and starts to leak lymph fluid (much like what happens with blisters). At this stage the skin is open to infection.

KentishLady

Would you find a more static job easier to cope with if you do have a flare up? Perhaps you could consider admin type roles (im assuming you are currently a Band 2 or 3 - there are often admin roles going local to me for band 2, 3 and some times 4). Your experience would stand you in good stead I would have thought for medical secretary/receptionist type roles.

Do you find that particular materials make your condition worse? Could be a reasonable adjustment to ask to be able to wear clothing made from less chafing materials? Perhaps in admin roles you would have more control over the clothing worn?

countingstars

First of all, I'm really sorry to hear about the aggressiveness of your eczema and how it's affecting you. I used to get real bad flare ups on my hands (it's better now, but during the colder months they still tend to crack and bleed). I remember having to drop out of my Biology A-Levels because we were constantly doing experiments and the latex gloves would cause my hands to react very badly. It hurt a lot and made me feel so self conscious.

Like others have said above, is there any way you can move to a more admin type role within the sector? Or if you want to help people and concentrate on their health - how about going for a role that helps patients with their mental/emotional well-being?

Having a chat with your GP may also help as he/she can provide you with some more help. Ask your doctor about natural remedies that will soothe your skin, like Aloe Vera and Shea Butter. Washing with cool or lukewarm water may help as well.

Try wearing loose, cotton clothing. Materials that 'breathe' so that you have a lot of air circulation beneath your clothes.

I hope the situation improves for you and remember, this isn't the end of the world. There are still plenty of things you can do. x

annie123

Ask your GP to test your hormones, that's what caused mine when I was a teenager after I had tried everything else. After trying a few pills we found one that balanced my system and it stopped. This was back in the 70's/80's so it's probably a lot quicker to find out and sort out now. Unfortunately it's reappeared now I'm menopausal but I find sudocream very soothing and if caught early enough it will stop the eczema going OTT.

Savvy_Sue

agrinnall wrote: »

I'd be surprised if you aren't already in touch with them, but the National Eczema Society would seem to be the people to talk to.

This.

However, if you've had to leave work early three times in four-five months, it's not unreasonable for your manager to wonder whether nursing is an appropriate career choice for you - yes you might be able to work around it, but bear in mind that generally there's a set ratio of staff to patients which HAS to be maintained. Even if in your current role you feel that you're leaving after most of the work has been done, that's not necessarily going to be acceptable.

I'm married to a man who's suffered from this horrible and unpredictable condition for most of his live, so I know how bad it can be, and I'm not unsympathetic, but no point pretending that leaving work early because of flare-ups is going to be acceptable in this line of work.