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 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 How about everyone else? Working? I understand we are nurses now so this happens.
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.
We rotate the three major holidays- Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. When you work you work the holiday and either the day before or the day after. I am brand new and am working New Years. Since we are assigned a number- 1,2, or 3- that corresponds with the holiday rotation when we are hired seniority doesn't play a role. I like the set up because only one of the major holidays is affected when you do have to work, meaning if you work New Years you don't work Christmas Eve, and you know years in advance which holiday you work. I'm sorry your having such a hard time of it this year. Doesn't seem fair
I worked Thanksgiving. I will be off on Christmas and New Years Eve and I assume I'll be working on New Years Day. The schedule isn't out yet so I don't know if I will be working New Years or not.
I only have Christmas off because the nurse who works when I don't had last Christmas off, and policy is if you have it off one year, you work the next.
I really luck out because I work set days an because Christmas Eve and New Years Eve don't fall on one of those days, I get it off :)
Next year, if I'm at the same facility, I'll be off Thanksgiving, on for Christmas and off for New Years (if I have to work it this year)
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.
thanks for this insight. as a teacher, i always had holidays off. working holidays is one of my concerns about becoming a nurse. after i read your post, i thought, "duh! that makes sense." not too much concerned about working the holidays now. i'm sure i can sell my family on the idea of celebrating when i'm off.
I worked the night before and night of thanksgiving (our payroll only gives you exact clock hrs for holiday pay so if you work night b4 and night of you get a full shift of holiday pay) and I have Christmas eve & night off, I think I work new years night, we always have to figure holidays around work schedules for the rest of the family so adding mine into the mix doesn't put a kink into things
I don't have kids, but I can understand your frustration. My family lives 6.5 hours from here. The first time this happened, I got upset. Now I embrace it when it happens and make the most out of a bad situation. I am scheduled to work on Christmas this year (I work nights). I obviously won't get to see my parents then, and my girlfriend is working the day shift that day. I decided that since I can't do anything that day anyway, I might as well sign up for a "bonus" shift on Christmas eve. Hey, if they are going to pay me well for the bonus shift and give me holiday pay on Christmas, that will eventually work out to my benefit.
This type of thing happens to everyone. Just make the most out of it, even if it seems like it sucks at the time.
We decided to wait until the January sales to Christmas shop. They should be huge this year.
I had Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Eve off, but then I offered to fill in for a friend who needs to see her family, so I'm working all of them.
No biggie. Hopefully, we'll have a potluck and get to give the poor patients who are stuck with us a little merriment. (I'm looking forward to being very overdecorated with light-up necklace, christmas ball earrings, and of course, my faithful reindeer antlers. Hope I don't scare the patients too much!) If I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll stop by the grocery store and bring in some Christmas cookies.
I was so mad about it because there were so many nurses who signed up to work on these days and not everyone who requested was put on the schedule.
Would it be hard to switch with someone who signed-up to work and didn't get it? That would probably be your best bet for this year. There's always scheduling bs. As for Easter, a lot of places don't consider it a holiday, but a religious observance a la Passover, etc. in terms of scheduling. I would also keep copies of the schedule and refuse to do this again next year (All of the holidays, that is. You should probably plan on doing at least one) .
Jan brought-up a good point re: the celebration rather than a specific day. Unfortunately, sick people don't magically get well on weekends and holidays. I have a hard time convincing my well-intentioned family that schedules monthly family dinners on Saturday or Sunday of this and they wonder why I'm not there. Hello . . .. . . . I work everyweekend. I work a weekend position. I have for the past two years. Not only do I work weekends, I usually work nights. They don't see why I can't just stay-up after work, go to said function and return to work that night. If you want me there, either let me know 3-4 months in advance or schedule something during the week. I keep telling them when it's my turn to host, it will be at 3am on a Wednesday if they don't quit giving me grief. :chuckle
I was scheduled to work Thanksgiving but called off due to low census. I was actually disappointed since I had already slept most of the day in preparation for my 7pm to 7am shift.
I also signed up for Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and New Years Day. When you work nights shifts on the eve counts as holiday pay. We didn't have any family or travel plans so I figured I would work and let someone else have an oppurtunity to have the night off. Besides... it's holiday pay!!
We are only required to work one major holiday and if you had that holiday off the previous year you are supposed to work it this year.
I am sorry to hear about your situation. I agree that you should just try and schedule your Christmas to suit your schedule.
Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.
I did get a little break in that today, the 23rd, I was scheduled to work and they called this morn and said I was on call. Today is a good day to be off because my daughter is flying in from Houston.
I've never been on call before but I think it means I need to stay by the phone just in case they call me in to work? So I won't be picking her up from the airport but at least I will see her when she gets home. :)
and the rest of my family. Before that she spent a year in Kosovo so we missed her for the holidays then too.
How about everyone else? Working? I understand we are nurses now so this happens.
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If you want me there, either let me know 3-4 months in advance or schedule something during the week. I keep telling them when it's my turn to host, it will be at 3am on a Wednesday if they don't quit giving me grief. :chuckle
SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN
10,263 Posts
{{{Katie}}}
I know he's proud.