This just infuriates me!

[StressedOutNurse85]

it's that time of the year fellow nurses...heading into early october...

which means (cue the horror music): holiday schedule time!!! :angryfire

that's right, my floor has already put up a list for us to write in our preferences between thanksgiving, christmas, and new years.

now, i'm realistic. i knew as soon as i started working in a hospital that i would be working holidays, and i don't have a problem with that. it does get stressful with the planning of early or late celebrations and my family being 6 hours away from me, but it's manageable.

however, i must say that i do have a problem with a co-worker of mine who has only worked in peds for 5 months. she worked on an adult neuro unit before in the same hospital and hired in the same time as i did, so she has seniority over the new nurses hired in this year (but not over our group that hired in when she did).

she has made it known to some of the nurses on the floor that she will be having her "ankle surgery" the week after thanksgiving, and will be off for 8 weeks. she also said as a direct quote "i'll probably be working thanksgiving then." excuse me, what?!?! more like you will be working thanksgiving. when asked about the timing of her surgery, she said "my parents are going to florida for the winter and i need them to drive me around." apparently, they are currently overseas now and will be home in that time gap. well isn't that convenient!!! the one holiday that 90% of our night shift staff wants off (christmas), you'll be recovering from your elective ankle surgery. let's not forget about new years as well! i seriously had to walk away from the girl before i flew off the handle on her. i'm just pissed about the whole situation. the following things are what i would love to say to her, but i'm too professional to do that in a work setting (maybe i should get her phone number:lol2: )

1)i don't see how there isn't a hospital policy on having elective surgeries between november and january! i guess i'll make a note to have a boob job done next december!

2)i'm sure your ass will be driving 2 weeks after your minor elective surgery, why don't you just admit that you planned it on purpose to get christmas and new years off?

3)very few nurses on this floor like you... your laziness and incompetence have repeatedly been reported to our nurse manager who doesn't have the backbone to fire you. i think it's safe to say that your co-workers are not going to welcome you back with open arms when you return from your mini-vacation.

4) this sort of follows #3. there aren't many nurses who jump for joy at the thought of working holidays. sure, we do it and we tolerate it...but that doesn't mean we like it. the holidays are a time that we want to spend with our families too! show some respect towards your co-workers and go through the process like all of us have to do!

ok, so i'm done now...i feel better, lol. i apologize for the swearing, i'm just so angry:angryfire i wouldn't have an issue if she hadn't been working due to her ankle (she's been working full-time), or if she was having nonelective surgery, or having a baby. all of those situations are completely understandable...her situation isn't.

[flashpoint]

I find it hard to believe that anyone went to nursing school without knowing that they would have to work holidays (in most cases). I don't think it is unfair to schedule surgery around holidays, take vaction during holidays, have a baby during holidays, or even have a loved one die during holidays. Unless someone has to work every holiday because of something someone else did, we really have no right to complain.

Last year, I worked every holiday because I had the least seniority and was the only nurse not eligible for holiday pay. It really wasn't fair, but other nurses had been stuck doing it before me...unfortunately, at that facility it was just part of the package. A lot of nurses, firefighters, police officers, ministers, security guards, soldiers, pilots, and people who work at Wal-Mart are stuck working holidays...how you react to it is up to you...personally, my family likes celebrating a day or two early or a day or two late...it is about family...not about the date.

[Toquay]

Ever since my children started high school (now graduated and grown ages 19 and 21), I always try and cover a mom with young children for holidays if they need. Most like Halloween (not really a holiday but a big day for little ones) and Christmas mornings after Santa has come. They are only little for so long and those moments are precious.

Toq

P.S. There truly is no better feeling or gift than to give a young family a little holiday time.

[Zookeeper3]

To be fair, I had arthroscopic knee surgery (pretty extensive) on Dec. 26th. I worked the 24 and 25th, and went right from work to the surgery center.

There was no way for anyone to know how much pain I was in, it was constant, always and you learn to function and tollerate it. So I doubt you would have known I was in pain.

Well, people were quite pissed that I took time off durring the holidays. edited (I had to call in for New Years, the crazy surgeon said I'd be up and walking in a day before he went in and said "oh", anterior, posterior and lateral tears. I had planned to work New years, couldn't). Well I could have taken 8 weeks off from thanksgiving on, and milked it longer and didn't. I worked my two holidays and then had surgery. People were irked because of New years, I was still on crutches!

People #1 are never always happy, #2 don't always know the true picture of anothers situation. Please consider that. Just another outlook.

[LadyLurker]

About scheduling surgery.... up here in Ontario, we generally go on a wait list for just about everything except emergency surgery.

I had no idea when my first arthroscopy(knee) would be scheduled, it was not emergent, nor was it really elective... I had to have it done, or I would not have been able to walk, much less work. I ended up having it done in March, missing all the major holidays, after an 6 month wait, much of it in pain, but able to work.

My second arthroscopy (bilateral knees) was the same... only this time I lucked out and it was during the summer, after a 4 month wait.

We tend to wait longer for ortho procedures, and can be bumped off the schedule by an emergency hip fracture or such.

My hysterectomy was a true bonus... Christmas and New Year's off... but again, I had NO way of knowing when my name would come up on the list. I saw the GYN end of October, and got a surgical date of December 6.

I had about 2 weeks warning of my surgical date, and my workplace had to deal with it.

So, not all surgeries can be planned for and booked, at least not in Ontario. When you get it, is non-negotiable, for the most part. If you refuse that date, you go back on the list.

Karen

LadyLurker

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

For what it's worth, I think people stay much healthier mentally (and physically) when they don't spend precious time worrying about what other people are doing--that doesn't involve them.

You can spend your life being steamed up by someone else "getting away with something", but really does it make a single bit of difference in YOUR life? No.

If this co-worker works the holidays or doesn't work the holidays isn't the question. The question is, "Am I required to work the holiday?". If the answer is yes, why do you really care if SHE does? And if you're off for one and expected to work the other....again, what difference does it make WHAT the heck she does?

Nurse schedules are rarely ideal. They usually involve some type of sacrifice on the part of the nurse, like it or not. If you hate that type of scheduling enough, you'll find different employment options (in nursing or not) that don't force that sacrifice. You chose to be a nurse in a facility that requires holiday service. No one's got a gun to your head, right?

Breathe deeply, clear your head, and get over the "injustice". You'll live longer :)

[bagladyrn, RN]

All of you who are taking the OP to task for venting, and minding someone else's business, may be missing one point - someone who would have been entitled to their turn to have the holiday off will now have to work it to cover for the person having surgery. If it's the OP I'd say she's entitled to her vent, whether the other nurse's timing was coincidental or not.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

All of you who are taking the OP to task for venting, and minding someone else's business, may be missing one point - someone who would have been entitled to their turn to have the holiday off will now have to work it to cover for the person having surgery. If it's the OP I'd say she's entitled to her vent, whether the other nurse's timing was coincidental or not.

So, should that person risk further damage to her body because it's someone else's turn to be off for the holiday? Not having help when you have kids you can't run after is a real concern. Next thing people will be saying is that she hurt her ankle on purpose so that she could schedule time off during the holiday. I think the OP is allowing her dislike of this particular co-worker to overshadow her view of the situation. Also, if the person happens to be "milking it", she'll get hers one day. Karma is a b that way.

[cmo421]

It is a fact that nurses take care of everyone else and usually neglect themselves! When we finally decide to do something for our selves, we get slammed! I am one of these nurses. Always worked no matter what. Who's taking care of me now? Not my place of work that's for sure. We are just numbers to them. So I think the lesson is, no need to be a saint, if it is broke, get it fixed, if you r sick enough stay home. We need to be healthy to care for our families and continue the career path we love so much!

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

There are definitely policies that are unfair to people at times, but key to remember is that the unfairness hits or helps each employee at some time. So even if the OP's coworker took advantage of the surgery date (I'm not convinced she did), the OP is free and able to do the same thing for HER surgeries/pregnancies in the same way. Every dog has it's day, and it's wise to remember that if you are fuming.

[oldiebutgoodie, RN]

All of you who are taking the OP to task for venting, and minding someone else's business, may be missing one point - someone who would have been entitled to their turn to have the holiday off will now have to work it to cover for the person having surgery. If it's the OP I'd say she's entitled to her vent, whether the other nurse's timing was coincidental or not.

1. She is entitled to vent

2. We are entitled to respond.

If you don't want responses to your vent, don't post on a public internet site.

Oldiebutgoodie

[Zookeeper3]

yes! i agree with you, i posted way earlier and wanted to give another point of view. sometimes when you're so angry and frustrated you may not realize things are not what they appear to be. in addition, in general many people think the screws have been put upon them in a holiday schedule, sometimes true, sometimes not.

this doesn't change how the op feels, yep, she's allowed, but there are so many other factors in scheduling that come into play; seniority (who works three of them vrs. two), who worked what last year and finally, who will work what the next. sure if this is seedy or not, the nurse who's injury caused the problem will have a stronger requirement the next year and this op will benefit from it. it all comes around.

that is my point, as well as the fact that; as nurses, we work sick, injured, left family issues, kids with issues all these things.... and we really don't know what is the true picture behind anothers doings. give this person slack for one holiday schedule.... tuck it away and remember it later.

it's pick your battles, the nurse will be out, can't change it.. but is the schedule fair considering this? there is more to consider and discuss, not just saying "that stinks". by discussing it further i don't think we're not understanding the op's anger.

all of you who are taking the op to task for venting, and minding someone else's business, may be missing one point - someone who would have been entitled to their turn to have the holiday off will now have to work it to cover for the person having surgery. if it's the op i'd say she's entitled to her vent, whether the other nurse's timing was coincidental or not.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

This board is a great place for people to vent. I completley understand what you were trying to say and that you were upset about the entire situation. That would irritate me too. The reason why the other nurse is going to be out of work wouldn't bother me but just the fact that I would get stuck being the one to have to work would. It is sad that people get so offended over a post where someone is just looking for a little sympathy regarding an upsetting situation. This will be my first time having to be away from my family during the holidays and that makes me very sad. I hope that no matter what happens as far as work goes you have happy holidays.:icon_razz:

Why should we feel sorry for anyone that has to do exactly what we have to do? I've got NO sympathy for an immature cry baby-here or in real life.We all know that nursing is a 24/7 job-if you want weekends and holidays off then be a teacher (but-the downside of that is the lesson plans and homework you do on your own time) I can't see making myself miserable over something I can't change.To my family a holiday is NOT the date but rather the day that you spend gathered with your loved ones. This is all part of growing up-