Are you working all the holidays because you're new?!?

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

Are you working over the holidays and don't want to? Well I am! There was a sign-up sheet on the wall and everyone signed up for what they wanted like work x-mas eve off, work x-mas day etc for New Years too. Well the paper was completely full and 8 people wanted to work each holiday because of the pay (which really is only time and a half not double time like in some other facilities). Ok so I don't even sign up because I'm not interested in working any day because I have a family; let the older women work who want to right?

Well guess who was signed up to work X-mas eve, day and New Years day (which means I can't do anything New Years eve as well) It took me all of one minute to realize why my boss put me on the schedule. Because I'm an LVN and will get paid less! Then they said I didn't have to work X-mas eve because the other LVN was working then. Oh good because they don't pay holiday pay on that day just like they didn't give me holiday pay on Easter when I had to work and be away from my kids.

Ok just had to blow off some steam! This is the first time in a while that my daughter will be home for X-mas. She is a soldier and is in Iraq for the past 18 months. She is leaving on December 15th to come home and I just thought I would be able to spend the holidays with her :crying2: and the rest of my family. Before that she spent a year in Kosovo so we missed her for the holidays then too.

Sorry just needed to vent :scrying: How about everyone else? Working? I understand we are nurses now so this happens.

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Sorry, that totally sucks for you and seems kind of unfair. I know our policy is that we have to work one of the major holidays, either Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's. Just one of them, not all of them! We do self-scheduling and plenty of people signed up for Christmas Eve night (I work nights), especially some of the older nurses without young kids. It seems people kind of look out for each other on my unit. I'm sorry yours didn't work out that way. Try to make the best of your holidays anyway. Since your daughter will be home, celebrate and enjoy your time together on whatever day it falls. And thanks to your daughter for her military service. :yeah: I am a military wife myself so I understand what a difficult (but rewarding) life it can be.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Ever since I started working as a nurse, we have celebrated Christmas on whichever day made the most sense. Just because it's written on the calendar on the 25th doesn't mean that you can't have your family celebrations on the 23rd, as we've done once, or the 26th as we've done a couple of times. We've also opened gifts at 1 in the afternoon when I've been working nights Christmas Day and eldest daughter cooked so we could have dinner at 4. One year we opened gifts at 8 pm after I got home and had our turkey dinner the next night.

Our wedding anniversary is on the 31st. The only time it's been a big deal if I was off was when it was our 25th. The rest of the years we might celebrate on the 30th with a nice dinner out and some good company. This year I'm working the 26th, 31st and 1st. We're celebrating our anniversary on the 3rd of January.

Don't be circumscribed by numbers on a page. It's not about the date, it's about the people and the emotion.

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Specializes in NICU/L&D, Hospice.

Don't be circumscribed by numbers on a page. It's not about the date, it's about the people and the emotion.

That is a really nice perspective!

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I'm not working because I'm new but because I'm greedy. :D

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Specializes in L&D.
I'm not working because I'm new but because I'm greedy. :D

ditto. The holidays are not a huge deal to me, we celebrate Christmas but I'm not terribly dedicated to the actual day for the celebration, so I requested to work. I figured that it's good money and that way someone else who cares more than I do about the holidays can be off.

I'm sorry you got stuck working all of them if you don't want to, though. That stinks.

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Nurses work holidays. Even with seniority.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

I'm new and I'm off Christmas eve and day and New Years eve and day. Other nurses on my floor all volunteered to work these Holidays, so by the time I got to the schedule, these days were already filled up. I was surprised that they filled up so quick by the seniority nurses. I was very pleased that these nurses did this to allow those of us with young children to have off. I appreciate them so much.... not only for volunteering for Holidays, but for their wisdom and kindness.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.

I'm working all holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve & Day and New Years Eve & Day) per my own request. My father passed away 6 months ago, and we're not going to be having much of a holiday season this year. I work 3-11, so I can still have presents in the morning with my mom & brother, and that's about as Christmas-y as I'm getting. I worked Thanksgiving, and my brother brought me in left overs from dinner at my aunt's. New Year's Eve I'd like to go out, but most of my friends are friends from college who all live far away. In exchange for working all the holidays, I am taking a long weekend for the weekend of my birthday (January 3rd) so that I can make plans with all of my friends who live far away. It works for me.

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I'm sorry about your dad, Katie.

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Specializes in Home Health/PD.

our company requires nurses to work every other holiday. so every other year you work christmas and have thanksgiving off and vise versa. i enjoy it.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.
I'm sorry about your dad, Katie.

Thanks, Sue. He saw my graduation & pinning, so at least I have that...he wasn't around for when I passed NCLEX this summer but I know he was there in spirit.

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