Working the holidays to get away from family...

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Nov 30, 2012

No kids. Rather have someone that has kids to share the day with them. Its why I also work Christmas eve and the day after so its easier for people to travel.

I loved working thanksgiving. No family in town, had a pot luck and our flight team brought honey baked ham. Our unit is pretty tight knit so it was like being around a ton of friends for the night anyways.

amygarside · Nov 30, 2012

Working during the holiday would mean extra pay although I have to sacrifice not being with my family. I make up for it during my day off.

rn2be73 · Nov 30, 2012

we do a family holiday the saturday before christmas...started that before i went into nursing so that christmas day we can open gifts, stay in our pajamas all day if we want and the kids can play with their new stuff and mom doesn't have to try to get everything together to go somewhere. Now that the kids are 16 and 18...if i were to try to wake them early for gifts i would get growled at..lol!!

Our unit puts up a list of holidays in october and you rank which holiday you want off...1 being "i absolutely MUST have this off" to 5 meaning "meh..doesn't really matter to me" If i work thanksgiving I will have christmas off and vice versa.

Personally i would rather the people with small children have off christmas morning... I have been known to split shifts to make that happen....Now when grandkids come along that may all change!!!

nfdfiremedic, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2012

I have very few living family members (my parents, one brother, and a few aunts/uncles/cousins but not many.) The closest one lives 5 hours away. I generally get chinese food every holiday. To that extent, since I'm not missing anything but sitting on the couch in my underwear and eating sweet and sour chicken, I work every holiday. Can't beat double time and a half for 8... or 12... or 16 hours!

prmenrs, RN · Nov 30, 2012

Our large NICU (>100 on staff) started a list in early September: names listed in order of senority, Holidays and "eves", you put in your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choices. Staffing committee made out the schedules based on senority and what you worked last year! If you wanted to work on a particular holiday, you indicated that desire. No matter how senior you were, eventually your "turn" came around.

If I knew I was likely to work, I liked to pick my shift. It disrupted the rest of the family least if I worked night shift Christmas Eve or Christmas night. I also asked to work the New Year's holiday. Thanksgiving--work had the very best potluck EVER. As long as I could get daycare, I worked!

somenurse · Nov 30, 2012

Our large NICU (>100 on staff) started a list in early September: names listed in order of senority, Holidays and "eves", you put in your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choices. Staffing committee made out the schedules based on senority and what you worked last year! If you wanted to work on a particular holiday, you indicated that desire. No matter how senior you were, eventually your "turn" came around.
If I knew I was likely to work, I liked to pick my shift. It disrupted the rest of the family least if I worked night shift Christmas Eve or Christmas night. I also asked to work the New Year's holiday. Thanksgiving--work had the very best potluck EVER. As long as I could get daycare, I worked!

now that is an interesting way to do it.

Seems like some nurse might end up working a few christmases or NYEs in a row, though???

most places i've worked,

combined Thanksgiving AND New Year's Eve off or on,

and

had christmas as opposite(on or off)

no seniority involved, everyone had exact same routine. All of us.

so, if the nurse was in holiday package #1---she'd be off BOTH Thanksgiving and NYE,

but she'd be ON for christmas,

and next year,

JUST THE REVERSE. this same nurse, in following year, would work on both Thanksgiving and NYE,

but, be OFF for christmas.

THIS WOULD ROTATE, EVERY YEAR.

NO ONE EVER WORKED TWO CHRISTMASES IN A ROW.

The other nurses, have exact same holiday package, but, we'll call them 'package #2". They'd work just the reverse of nurses in package #1, having both Tgiving and NYE on, and christmas as off.

so no one ever worked two christmases in a row, ever.

and if you did work christmas, you'd be off the other two big holidays of that season. (apologies to other religions whose holidays are not included there.)

and unless you yourself arranged a trade with a coworker, mostly eveyrone just worked their scheduled shift, for example, the night nurses worked nightshift,

the day nurses worked day shift.

eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN · Nov 30, 2012

I don't mind working a holiday but it's only because the date isn't relevant to me. The extra $2 is simply insulting and not financial incentive.

prmenrs, RN · Dec 1, 2012

If a nurse wanted to work a holiday, usually there wasn't a fuss about it @ all. We certainly had most of the same people working for Thanksgiving--YUM!

The other holidays had potlucks, too, both shifts, plus other "traditional" celebrations--like the Christmas Eve creche scene starring staff members and one of the [stable] infants whose parents had given us permission.

PRICHARILLAisMISSED · Dec 1, 2012

As my mind sometimes does, I've wondered a bit off topic while reading the posts.
I'm old....er. The days when I awakened at 0400 on christmas morning to whispers and gigles from my children are long gone. I miss those days more than I can say. I cannot imagine not having those memories in my head.
Having said that, just because I don't have little ones in my house does not mean I should be expected to give up my Christman morning, Halloween, or any other holiday that centers around children. The nurses with little children, expect those of us without, to give up those days as if what we may have planned is secondary to what they have planned. I'm sure it is to them.
I'm expected to give up my New Years Eve, because God knows I'm too old to party.
Does anybody but me resent the unspoken assumption that youth trumps age in matters of family?

I agree with you completely. Don't get me wrong. During the holidays when it is my 2 daughters mother's turn to have them, I happily volunteer to cover another tech's hours (I'm currently an HVAC/R Tech). But it is MY choice. I don't think its right for anyone to have a stronger or weaker chance of working the holidays due to family status.

prmenrs, RN · Dec 1, 2012

By the way, there are a couple of NON-holidays I always avoided like the plague: Tues after Labor Day, and the 1st Monday after the New Year. All the 'suits' are there, ready to kick rears and take names. Fun is over, get back to work!!

somenurse · Dec 2, 2012

By the way, there are a couple of NON-holidays I always avoided like the plague: Tues after Labor Day, and the 1st Monday after the New Year. All the 'suits' are there, ready to kick rears and take names. Fun is over, get back to work!!

lol, this post, reminded me of a time, on christmas day, when i was working day shift. I was a cigarette smoker at the time, and our hospital had very strict policy that any smoking employees, must cross street, walk a block, to lit up.

well, it was c-mas, and it was pouring rain, and freezing,

so i just stepped outside the back door, walked about 50 feet from the door, still under the roof, and lit up. Another employee came out, and said, "Don't you know, that you must cross the street?"

and i kinda chuckled and called out, "OH, it's a holiday! All the big chiefs are gone, no one but us small-fry here today!"

and i swear, just at that exact moment, the CEO of the hospital walked out, heard my words, looked right at me, smiled and shook his head, (and luckily for me,) walked away. (whew!)

I couldn't have been more shocked. Was like a scene out of a Seinfeld tv show....

bbuerke · Dec 8, 2012

Jean Marie,

What a sweet story. I think all children should have exposure to those who are less fortunate, whether they are poor, sick, elderly, disabled, etc. It builds empathy and compassion at a young age, and kids don't get enough exposure to that sort of thing anymore. I used to visit the elderly homebound with my mom when I was little, and it definitely shaped the way I view the world.

Your story also reminded me of when I was a little girl, my dad was out of the country and my mom was in the hospital. My sister, 14 years my senior, took me with her to some college classes. Most professors I am sure cocked an eyebrow at the five year old sitting in the back of a chemistry class, but we didn't have any other options. I remember her classmates giving me magazines to look at, and putting on a white coat (which was huge on me) for lab. I got the sense that the students enjoyed me being there - they thought it was cute, my sister was proud of me, and I felt like a big girl to be with them - definitely a confidence and self-esteem builder. I'm sure your children felt the same, and it is clear you are very proud of your children and they way they behaved that Christmas, as you should be.

I guess there's a lot to be said for "bring your kids to work day", especially on Christmas :)