Nurses General Nursing
Published Dec 8, 2016
We all know nurses barely get the holidays off. What do you do at your workplace to still feel the spirit of Christmas? What are the simple or big things that you do for your patients during this season? Share your experience and make this year's holiday a memorable one!
JustBeachyNurse, LPN
13,952 Posts
Considering the strong majority of my patients are not Christian...not much as it would offend the family and likely cost me my job
Davey Do
10,476 Posts
I refrain from saying "Bah! Humbug!"
smartnurse1982
1,775 Posts
You are lucky to work for such an agency.
My agency gives out Christmas presents to families and nurses,even if the families and nurses are not Christian.
SapphireKitten, CNA
63 Posts
We decorated the clinic nicely for Christmas. Even made stockings for all of the employees! I haven't been regularly telling patients "Merry Christmas" yet since it's still the beginning of December, but many of them have told me. I say it back when they do.
loriangel14, RN
6,931 Posts
We have a tree, decorations, Christmas music, elf in the shelf, secret Santa, and gift bags for all the patients Christmas morning
Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN
11,304 Posts
The hospital where I work has an acute care side and a LTC side. We have a Christmas tree in the lobby every year and the LTC patients are invited out to sing Christmas Carols, decorate the tree, and eat homemade sweet stuff and hot chocolate, coffee, or punch.
A group of local ladies made soft warm lap blankets for the LTC residents and got together for a party to give them out.
Our hospice group holds candlelight ceremonies every year in each community. People call and ask for their loved one's name to be put on a list and after lighting the candles, the lights are dimmed and we read the names. I helped read them this year. Last night it was snowing hard and the church is one of those old beautiful ones built in the 1800's with a grand steeple - seeing the snow fall in the candlelight was beautiful. Christianity is not a pre-requisite to attend. We usually have many hospice family members in the audience and last night two daughters and the husband of a co-worker who died this year of cancer walked together up the aisle and stairs to where the preacher stands and lit candles together - which of course brought tears to my eyes. It is a simple, quiet ceremony.
One of our docs and our hospice chaplain sang accompanied by the piano this year and it was quite moving.
Each area has a potluck of sorts. Some areas do gift exchanges. Another group of co-workers always goes to a Christmas Show at a local theater built in the 1800's.
I'm grateful to live where I do.
ohiobobcat
887 Posts
I work in a public school, so I try to stay pretty neutral with my holiday decorations. I have paper snowflakes on my windows and door that I cut out in Star Wars characters/ships, Groot and Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy, and some generic designs (all from a template). Some of the kids (who know the movies) get a kick out of them, and I can leave them up beyond the holiday season. I was thinking of getting some blue garland (one of the school colors) and putting it across one of my walls in NSR.
When I worked in the hospital, we had a tree that I decorated with a long rhythm strip (we hooked up one of my coworkers to one of the in room telemetry machines and just let a strip run) wrapped around it like garland. My boss saw it and just rolled her eyes.
I was thinking of getting some blue garland (one of the school colors) and putting it across one of my walls in NSR.When I worked in the hospital, we had a tree that I decorated with a long rhythm strip (we hooked up one of my coworkers to one of the in room telemetry machines and just let a strip run) wrapped around it like garland. My boss saw it and just rolled her eyes.
I'm thinking NSR means normal sinus rhythm. Then your next statement makes me think I'm right.
But . . . I'm probably not.
JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN
588 Posts
I LOVE that idea. So clever!
I do more of a "winter" theme than a specific holiday. There is a tree in the lobby of my school but my office is more snowflakes, bows, garland and penguins. I also have a little skeleton who hangs behind my desk and I made him a scarf to wear.
HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD
9,051 Posts
Faith-based (Christian) organization here..... we're engulfed in it. Decorations all over the place. Office decorating contests. Holiday snacks on every flat surface. Poinsettias up and down the hallways. As we get closer to the 25th, it will only increase. The week before Christmas, it's in maximum overdrive and the carolers will begin to appear as well as extra services in the chapels at all locations. Holiday meals on the 24th & 25th for everyone who's working. Honestly, the only place to escape all the Yuletide cheer this month is the bathroom.
whichone'spink, BSN, RN
1,473 Posts
I have a Santa hat, and will buy some Christmas socks to wear either on the 24th or 25th. I've got to ask my supervisor to bring out the unit Christmas decorations so I can work on it this weekend.