“I had never thought of the Doctor’s Guard, while it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for”
30-10-2026 -From hospital to triagist: how Madelon found a new challenge in GP emergency care
More freedom, a lot of variety and a salary that is not dependent on a full-time working week. For triage nurse Madelon, working at the Doctor’s Guard turned out to be different than she ever expected.
When Madelon was temporarily absent from work due to health problems, she was forced to think about a different future. She started looking for a new job within healthcare via a second track route, but many positions fell by the wayside because they were too physically taxing. The GP emergency care of the Dokterswacht did not initially come to mind. Until a former classmate made a simple suggestion during a conversation: why don’t you give the Doctor’s Guard a try? “That had never really occurred to me. Strangely enough, because you do call there sometimes. But I really never thought of it as a workplace.” What followed was an open application in which she immediately told honestly about her situation. To her surprise, there was a positive response. “I thought: maybe they will say no right away. But maybe it’s also a great opportunity. In the end, it all went very quickly.”
More freedom than expected
Madelon now works twenty hours a week as a triagist. It was precisely the flexibility of the work that turned out to be one of the biggest advantages for her. Where many people think of irregular shifts mainly in terms of evenings and weekends, she mainly experiences the freedom that comes with it. “If there is something wrong with the children, I am actually always there. I think that’s a really big advantage. We have now completely found our way at home.”
According to Madelon, many healthcare professionals do not realize how many possibilities the work offers. The shifts can be scheduled flexibly, so that the work fits well next to a family, study or other work. “You really don’t have to work full-time at the Doctor’s Guard. Some colleagues do this in addition to another job. I had never realized that beforehand.”
Financially attractive
In addition to flexibility, Madelon also mentions the irregularity allowance as an important advantage of the work. “Almost all hours are with ORT. In the hospital I worked 28 hours. Now I work 20 hours and I have more left.” For people who consciously want to work less or combine their job with care tasks at home, she says, this offers interesting opportunities. “If you have children and a partner who is at home in the evening, this can work very well. You don’t need childcare and you have a lot of time together during the day.”
No two days are the same
The switch also turned out to be bigger than expected in terms of content. Whereas in the hospital she mainly worked within one specialty, at the Doctor’s Guard she has to deal with almost every conceivable request for help. “Before this, I worked in dermatology. Now I get everything over. From top to bottom, from inside to outside. The work is incredibly broad.” It is precisely this broad character that makes the work challenging and educational, according to her.
Why Madelon found her place at the Doctor’s Guard
In addition to the flexibility and variety, it is mainly the colleagues and development opportunities that ensure that Madelon enjoys going to work. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked anywhere where colleagues are so there for each other. Everyone helps each other and you can always spar.” She also mentions the opportunities to develop yourself as a big plus. “We have a lot of training courses. You actually always keep learning. That’s what I really like about this work.”
According to Madelon, many healthcare professionals do not yet have a complete picture of what working at the Dokterswacht entails. She thinks that’s a shame, because it is precisely the combination of flexibility, substantive challenge and development opportunities that makes the work attractive. “I had never thought of it as a workplace myself. In retrospect, I think: why not?” For Madelon, the switch was ultimately more than just a new job. It gave her the opportunity to continue working in healthcare, to gain new knowledge and to find more freedom. “It doesn’t actually feel like work at all. It is educational, varied and it fits well with my life. I would never have dared to dream that beforehand.”
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