Any Mormon/LDS nurses here? I need help?

[MaryFutureRN]

Hi allnurses :)

So I'm currently working in a surgical onco floor as a new grad nurse and my shift begins tomorrow. I just finished a month of didactics and now we will be sent to our units.

So my didactics went from 8a-5pm and I had weekends off. That meant I had all the time to attend Church every sunday and have some free time. So I was called as a member of the young women presidency in our ward and also was assigned a teaching assignment for the youth. So I accepted these callings because I have always wanted to do these before.

What I am very sad about it is that we start working with shifting schedule this week (just as all us nurses usually do) and ofc, I may not always have the time to go to church and attend to my calling (or teach) every weekend consistently and this makes me sad. I spoke with my bishop about this and he knows I am on a shifting schedule. He said I didnt need to be there all the time.

Im just worried I might get schedules that will require me not to attend church for a loooong period and it makes me honestly sad. How did you deal with shifting schedules and Church callings and responsibilities?

Thank you so much!

[DowntheRiver]

I am not a churchgoer or religious, but can you ask your manager to swap your schedule so you never work Sundays and only work Saturdays? That would be a nice compromise. You'd have to work every Saturday but at least you could always have every Sunday off? I had a co-worker in a similar predicament as you and that was the compromise. She was a new grad but needed those first few years of experience. She did it for almost two years before moving to an outpatient surgical center where she never had to work weekends. Just a thought.

[Libby1987]

I'm always curious about this, no offense intended, sheer curiosity of how this would work..

If every nurse had the same religious beliefs and followed the same religious organization with the same day/s of worship, how would this be managed?

Isn't it a spiritual conflict for the general religious you who have strict worship schedules to find it advantageous that not everyone believes as you do so that they will work Saturday or Sundays and your religious holidays?

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

OP: You work your fair share of weekends (including Sundays) like everyone else. Have you ever read the parable of the ox in the well? Because if you haven't, you should.

That's how nursing is.

[Triddin]

You can always swap shifts with coworkers to try and get the Sunday off

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Also - your patients are missing church too.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Also - your patients are missing church too.

I have said for years, when people start bemoaning working on Sundays/Holy Days, Holidays, etc, Well if you think you have it so rough, think of the poor soul laying in that bed who can't attend them either, due to being too sick.

Don't enter a field where work on your "Special day off" is a major issue, if it's that big a deal. OP, you are not the only one who has religious or other reasons why they don't want to work certain days, and you won't be the last. This has been discussed on these forums so often through the years.

Here is the rub: You enter into a contract, knowing you have to work certain days and if you can't, you have a couple of choices. You trade shifts with some one willing to work or you don't take a job where working gets in the way of your religious practices. Everyone can say they have reasons why not to work weekends/off shifts--- believe me. But they signed up for it and they work, because they agreed to. Trade shifts or jobs. Your calling does not trump others' rights to have the occasional weekend off for whatever reason. It's important to you, but their reasons are just as valid to them.

And since you are called, try applying that notion to being compassionate to those who miss their special or holy days due to being too sick/hospitalized to attend and work those days understanding you are serving in an honorable way.

[guest769224]

I grew up LDS so I understand.

A sample work week could be: Tuesday, Friday, Saturday. Then you would have time off for Family Home Evening, Mutual, and church each Sunday.

Request with your manager that you could (temporarily) work each Fri/Sat to get your weekend requirements in. She/he may go for it.

There may be times when you have to miss mutual activities or church on Sunday. That's the reality of nursing...it's a 24/7 job and it's difficult to get your exact schedule when you don't have any seniority on the unit.

Last resort, try to trade a coworker for Sunday's off. Good luck

[mtmkjr, BSN]

I am a Christian, not LDS. I accepted a job working every other Sunday and was willing to work my fair share because I've always believed I would care for people when they needed care, which is 24/7 obviously. Soon after I started, another nurse asked me if I would like her to work my Sundays. The hospital I work in has a very generous weekend differential. So I no longer work Sundays and I am happy that it worked out that way for me.

I did not at all gather that the OP is opposed to working Sundays, believing that she is entitled to having that day off because of her religion... I think what she is saying is that she really enjoys her involvement in the church programs and would like to continue that without missing too much. Specifically she said that she didn't want to go for loooong periods of time missing Sundays. Some of the responses here suggest she believes she should get special treatment which I did not see at all...

I do not see that as any different from another person who might have a regular Saturday activity that they don't want to miss and would like to avoid working Saturdays....?

Finding someone to split the weekend sounds like a good solution.

[JKL33]

I'm always curious about this, no offense intended, sheer curiosity of how this would work..

If every nurse had the same religious beliefs and followed the same religious organization with the same day/s of worship, how would this be managed?

Isn't it a spiritual conflict for the general religious you who have strict worship schedules to find it advantageous that not everyone believes as you do so that they will work Saturday or Sundays and your religious holidays?

OP: You work your fair share of weekends (including Sundays) like everyone else. Have you ever read the parable of the ox in the well? Because if you haven't, you should.

That's how nursing is.

Your calling does not trump others' rights to have the occasional weekend off for whatever reason. It's important to you, but their reasons are just as valid to them.

And since you are called, try applying that notion to being compassionate to those who miss their special or holy days due to being too sick/hospitalized to attend and work those days understanding you are serving in an honorable way.

To whom are you all speaking? The OP? She didn't say anything about not working the Sundays, nor ask for any pointers on how to screw others out of their weekends off, nor state that it's a sin for her to work on Sundays, nor...blah blah blah...

What gives?

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

I never understood why people go into fields knowing they aren't willing to fulfill the work requirements (like working nights, weekends and/or holidays).

And I am pretty sure if there is a God, he would rather you take care of your fellow man/woman than go to service. You can praise baby Jesus/Allah/Elohim/etc on any day or time of the week.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Can people please cut the OP a little slack and not be quite so vicious/disdainful? She never said she isn't willing to fulfill the work requirements.