Is there a good method to decide who works what holiday?

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

In the years before I was a mother I used to always volunteer to work Christmas, Halloween, etc.........once I became a mother I worked nights to be able to be home with my kids on the holidays. Now I'm about to become a grandmother and am stressing already about what holidays I'll have to work next year knowing it will be the first year my grandson will be opening his own presents and I sure as heck would like to be off this Christmas as well. Going back to nights is definately NOT an option.

Where I work, every year they ask us to turn in a sheet with which holiday we would like to be off and in which order 1 thru 3. Well it doesn't matter what you put down. If you worked Thanksgiving last year you'll be off this year and work Christmas and visa versa. The one who makes out the schedule does not work any holidays. None the whole year, nor does she work any weekends. Although I do like her very much I think it is so UNFAIR! I complained to my NM who told me oh no she worked every holiday last year and one weekend each month. I don't think so, I didn't see her. Well she took call for me every holiday. Big deal. The censes is low on the holidays and we always end up cancelling staff and putting staff on call. Even when were busy the NM or whoever has call never has to come in, so I repeat BIG DEAL. I was told that the DON is good friends with the person who makes out the schedule and she has approved her not working weekends or holidays in order to have her stay. But no one else can have that same offer because it would not be fair. :angryfire I venting now, can you tell? :angryfire anyway, how does your floor handle the holidays? We tried signing up for them ourselves but it didn't work out because the majority wouldn't sign up for anything other than New Years Day or New Years Eve. Although I really like my job and the people I work with I'm seriously considering changing jobs. I'm starting orientation to Home Health on Tues on a PRN basis.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

We used to do the preferential 1-5 method. But some it seemed never got what they wanted. So they switched to every other method and it has worked. Everyone knows a year in advance what holidays they will be scheduled for and can make plans accordingly. If they want a switch with someone that is their choice and both people have to agree, but that usually doesnt happen.

Usually on holidays our census is low enough they dont actually have to have the staff they schedule, so there is always a possiblity that you may get the day off due to low census. Then it is a first ask, first off basis, with people willing to take vacation time or accumulated holiday time having first availablity.

Specializes in acute care and geriatric.
My point is that "not everyone does pitch in". I'm just really irritated now. Sorry, nothing personal. Thanks for your reply.

Hey, I know how you feel:cool: , It Is IRRITATING when the family and friends get together and you have to work:( , you come home at the end of the long and difficult shift (dealing with everyones blues at having to be cooped up in the hospital for the holiday) and then find a huge mess by those who were home:eek: . And THEN all the good foods already been eaten and someone forgot or tampered with the video machine so your program didn't get taped......:madface:

Some families 'push off' celebrating till MOM:nurse: comes home from work and DAD:specs: takes the kids bowling or something :clown: to help pass the time.

OTOH, if you come prepared, a holiday on the unit could be fun if you can find some cool volunteers to bring cheer and maybe some goodies, if you organize a 'party' or at least a toast sometime in the middle of the shift. And you always get first dibs at the great chocolates that the families bring :roll I know it aint easy but an enthusiastic approach can make the shift go faster!!

Just try not to make it look like so much fun or they will think that you actually enjoy working holidays!!!

Agree. But it would be nice to spare the drama of having to put up that note every other year, although it wouldn't be much drama. A lot of young people also want New Years Day off for partying and work Xmas and I've seen people get Xmas off more than one year in a row in the self-scheduling method. But definately I agree preference first to those who want it off and worked the year before.

This year will be interesting. I'm the only one signed up for Xmas. The Thanksgiving schedule is out and I'm off again, so I'm happy.

I get to work every holiday except Xmas and Xmas eve. There are a lot of people already coming up to me asking me to work for them and asking how come I got BOTH Xmas and Xmas eve off? This is the usual face they get from me when they do: :rolleyes:

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Bottom line Dutchgirl, until your manager decides that the scheduling will be fair and equal, you can propose all the systems you want.

Doesn't sound like you're getting fairness and equality from the manager and that's the real issue, not coming up with a schedule.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
I get to work every holiday except Xmas and Xmas eve. There are a lot of people already coming up to me asking me to work for them and asking how come I got BOTH Xmas and Xmas eve off? This is the usual face they get from me when they do: :rolleyes:

I guess there's always going to be that element. Enjoy them. You've earned them. ;)

When I worked in a hospital you had a choice to either have Thanksgiving day & day after off or New Years Eve & day off. You either worked Christmas Eve or Christmas Day - nobody was given both of them off unless you ended up switching with another coworker.

You either worked Christmas Eve or Christmas Day - nobody was given both of them off unless you ended up switching with another coworker.

See I think that's why my coworkers keep trying to get me to work for them. What they don't understand is that if you have family out of town, ONE day off isn't enough. I need them both off or I don't get to see any of my loved ones. That's why I prefer to work them both one year and neither the next.

Our NM rotates the holidays faithfully, so no one has a gripe. I have also worked in a hospital where we worked 6 hr shifts on the major holidays, that worked also because it made it easier for the families to schedule around that time frame.:rolleyes:

There is also a thread similar to this on General Nursing Discussions if any one's interested.

:offtopic: dutchgirl I noticed you are now an Oma, congratulations from a Papaw X8

We are scheduled to work every other holiday. We can also trade if someone wants to trade holidays, but it rotates every year. I work 4th of July last year, I don't next year. Seems to work out okay. Everyone knows what holidays they have to work and trades happen occasionally.

:balloons:

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