But I have little kids!

itsme · Oct 11, 2003

where I work, our schedules are set, the same days off year in and year out!! So, if the holiday falls on your day off, you dont work it! Lucky me I have thanksgiving, xmas eve, xmas day, new years eve and new years day off!! But I will work most of those for others who want them off. I like haveing a set schedule thruout the year, so much easier to plan vacations and stuff.

passing thru · Oct 11, 2003

Oh ! How great to work 8-5 five days a week with HOLIDAYS and weekends off !!!

k-eet10 · Oct 11, 2003

Oh froggylegs you are so right!! The turnover rate is becoming so bad, hopefully the hospital will still be open for Christmas! But getting back to the subject at hand every facility is different on how they handle their vacation. I agree that when you are thoughtful enough to work for someone on a holiday they want with their family, then they won't work for you: as the saying goes" if it happens once shame on you, happens twice shame on me"

flashpoint · Oct 11, 2003

We fill out a form every year that lists the "big" holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day) and we number them 1-5 by which holiday we want off first. About 90% of the time you get your first choice off. If too many want the same day off, they go by seniority first, then all kinds of things come into play like how many sick days you take, how many meetings you attend, how many extra shifts you work, etc... I've been there longer than all but 2 of the nurses on my shift and this is the first year I've had my first choices off. I work Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and the rest I am off. I know a lot of people are upset that the "old" people get all of the "really big" days off, but we all put up with if when we were "new" too...

uk_nurse · Oct 11, 2003

On my ward we ask what people want to work. Every year our shifts are covered. (xmas time) We are really lucky. I must admit though im one of those people who want xmas day off and yes i have 3 young children. I see xmas day as for children (as in minors) it is their day and new year for adults, but on saying that i will work xmas eve, boxing day, new years eve and new years day (day or nights) so i dont think im being too unfair just asking for that one day. Some people want more than the one day

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2003

Originally posted by passing thru
Oh ! How great to work 8-5 five days a week with HOLIDAYS and weekends off !!!

Sure rub it in. That's o.k. You've earned it.

But when people come to work on my floor, they know they don't have those kind of hours. Why expect them on holidays. :)

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2003

Originally posted by SmilingBluEyes
we rotate, kids or no kids. so no one has anything to complain about where I work....

it's most fair. WE ALL HAVE LIVES.

We post a preference and rotate. But no one was here last year, so it's going to be interesting to see who gets what. Invariably people are going to be unhappy.

The one who said she derserves preferential treatment because her kids are little is wrong. I know it's tough, you want to be there because they are only little once and they grow up so fast. But again, when you took this job.....sigh.

imenid37 · Oct 11, 2003

I have 3 daughters and I work nights. When they were little it was hard to stay up all day after work for Christmas, but when it was my turn, I did it. Everyone does have a life, so it is rather presumptuous to assume that the 25 year w/ a toddler deserves the day off more than the 50 year old w/ family out of state. We all deserve (if it is our tradition/faith) to have a pleasant Christmas. It is very unpleasant to be put on the spot by someone who perpetually whines about working the Holidays and wants you to do their shift. One of the nicest Christmases I ever worked was when I worked 3-11 for a co-worker(who did not approach me to trade) whose adult daughter was dying of cancer. Very festive. The respiratory therapists dressed like Santa and handed out cookies. My kids were very little and didn't know they were supposed to miss me. Best of all, I've had many Christmases w/ my children since then and can't imagine knowing that I only had one left and no one helping me out. I do know that as they've gotten older, I certainly don't love them any less or look forward to seing them happy on the Holidays any less. So, I say, take your own darn turn...PLEASE!!!

GLDLPN · Oct 11, 2003

Hi,

Where I first worked, we all kind of helped each other out. If you worked Christmas eve one year, the next year you were to get that off and work Christmas night. For Christmas, the ones with older kids usually tried to let the ones with younger kids have off whatever part worked best for them. Then when your kids got older you did the same as had been done for you when your kids were young. (I was in a small rural hospital with out much turn over ~ I have been gone from there for almost 10 years, and when one of my former coworkers sends me news letters from there there are a lot of the same people there as when I was there).

Right now, it does not matter to me (well, it does, but I can't do anything about it). My kids and little grandson live out of state. You can only get the eve or night of the holiday off, so if your family is out of state, there is no way you can get to go be there with them with only one night off. So, I tell them I will work what ever part they need me to work and some one can have it off because I can't get to have a holiday with my family anyway. Maybe some year, I can get them all tickets to come here for a holiday. (See Grandma smile!!!!!)

Gayle

ksb13 · Oct 11, 2003

I work in home health and I have worked some of every holiday the past year, however, in home health it is a little easier....last Christmas I saw one patient who lived 10 miles from me to do a dressing change. My office covers 6 very large and rural counties. We try to share the visits out so every one gets to be home the largest part of a holiday. IF someone needs the entire day off it usually isn't a big deal. We are also required to fill out a form in October listing Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years in the orders we would like to be considered to have them off. So far, in 12 years of home health, I have managed to be home most of any holiday.

Katnip, RN · Oct 11, 2003

We rotate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Kids or no kids. New Year's is a free-for all. But I honestly don't care about New Year's so I'll take the money and extra day off.

altomga, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN · Oct 11, 2003

I don't blame you for ranting (as you called it)....I DO have kids, but I work christmas....yes I do try to get off on X-mas eve (simply b/c I live 1hr away from the hospital and the kids would be through!) We have "packages" that rotate the holidays...the nightshift (i work nights) don't go by it though..we voluntarily sign up for what we would prefer to work and then go from there...I do the schedule and they are all reminded thought that if there is argruing or a holiday is NOT covered the packages will be instituted (they actually suck that's why we do the other)....we are required to work 2 major holiday's a year.......In the little over 5yrs I have worked on my unit I have only had both x-mas eve and x-mas off together one time......My first year I worked every major and minor holiday EXCEPT x-mas eve...I figured I needed to pay "my dues" as the newbie!

Rant away...I hear ya and don't blame you!