Constantly having to prove myself - NHS
I’ve been at my current NHS Trust for 2 years and I feel like I’ve constantly had to prove myself and my competence. I often feel that whatever I produce is never quite right, I’m compared to my predecessor, or I’m criticised for not being “visible” by senior leaders/directors who don’t actually work closely with me or see the day-to-day work I do. I’m in a leadership admin role.
I’ve never worked somewhere where I’ve felt so consistently like I’m not trusted to do my job or that I have to continually prove my value. There also seems to be a strong sense of favouritism among some leaders, alongside a resistance to change and I’m finding the culture increasingly difficult.
It’s genuinely starting to affect me and despite enjoying the actual work I do, I’m seriously considering leaving because of the environment and the impact it’s having on me.
Has anyone else experienced something similar in the NHS? How did you distinguish between genuinely needing to develop/improve and being in an unhealthy or unsupportive workplace culture? And, if you’ve been through something similar, how did you go about addressing it or deciding when it was time to leave?