I asked for Christmas off and they...

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Dec 2, 2013

Plus if you choose to celebrate after the holiday you can take advantage of the post holiday sales and save on decor, wrap and gifts.

Umberlee · Dec 2, 2013

I work at two facilities and one actually doesn't pay nurses holiday pay! I found that out the first year AFTER I volunteered for both Christmas and New Year's eve. I'm still kind of peeved! I have never heard of a place not paying nursing for red-letter holidays. Mandating PTO for office or case-management jobs or whatnot, sure--but having staff nurses who just make wage an hour for being there? No way. I went to relief staff shortly after that so now I can just say "no thanks" when they ask if I want to cover holidays. I feel kind of bad for the regular nurses who are stuck working the holiday but eh, not my problem anymore.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Dec 2, 2013

The LTC where I am perdiem only pays on the day it self, not the Eve, as in New Year or Christmas...oh well.

TeeKay12 · Dec 2, 2013

My mother and a couple of aunts were nurses and now I am. I fully expect to work some or even all of the holidays. This year I'm in a new position with a fair way of handling holidays. There are 3 winter and 3 summer ones. Each position rotates, so since I work New Year's Eve this year, I won't work it again for 3 more years. Now, I did volunteer to work Christmas Eve, as they were asking for people, I need the hours, and I have teens/adults. My kids will all still be asleep when I get home (I work nights).

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jan 7, 2014

We are almost always short-staffed through the holidays and this year was no exception. The severe shortage began the night of the 23rd and it ran right through to the 3rd of January. Our census was high, our acuity was high and we had staff members dropping like flies to the flu. What really rots my socks off about this is that we're all expected to work one or the other, and by simple mathematics, we should be tripping over each other. So why aren't we? There are a number of people who have managed to have both off - for several years in a row - simply by saying they want them both off, and admin caves. I wonder what would happen if I tried that gambit? Yeah, you guessed it... they'd schedule me to WORK both.