But I have little kids!

ktwlpn, LPN · Oct 25, 2003

Originally posted by Virgil
fab4fan, I can see dividing the holidays w/ fairness, but at the same time, I think what you are saying is kind of cold. It's been my experience that people really don't understand "the kid thing" until they have their own. Then, all of a sudden, they get it. '
I think what I see as cold as you saying "you chose the profession, you chose to have kids. your choices, your consequences." Have a little understanding would ya?

I think fab and the rest of us are very understanding..bottom line-I feel for ya but I ain't working every holiday for ya...sorry...We "understand" the kid thing-we have often spoken here on the board how some parents seem to think that the rest of the world has to put up with THEIR kids..In good restaurants,movie theaters,etc...What some of us are saying is that having children is your choice...your responsibility..You are the one to make the sacrifices-not everyone else....

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 25, 2003

A coworker of mine just announced her pregnancy -- and she says now she's unwilling to work any more weekends or holidays. And she wants Christmas off because it will be her last W/O children.

OK, she wants W/E and holidays off because she's pregnant. Can't you just see what she'll be like when she has kids?!

Oh, and she can't take care of any patients with MRSA or VRE, can't take care of anyone in isolation, can't take care of anyone with a nasty wound because that will make her nauseous. She thinks she should just be in charge all the time and stay out of patient rooms.

Sheesh!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 25, 2003

Originally posted by fab4fan
Dayray: One of the reasons I, as a single w/o kids put my foot down is because the MWK never reciprocated.

So, I really don't care if I have no plans on that day. If I want to relax with my other friends who happen to be off, that's my business, and I owe no justification to anyone.

You chose the profession, you chose to have kids. Your choices, your consequences.

I need to make a poster of this for work and hang it above the "time request off" book.

I agree. I am single, no kids, i am a student, but heck i need time off too!!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 25, 2003

Originally posted by Virgil
fab4fan, I can see dividing the holidays w/ fairness, but at the same time, I think what you are saying is kind of cold. It's been my experience that people really don't understand "the kid thing" until they have their own. Then, all of a sudden, they get it. '
I think what I see as cold as you saying "you chose the profession, you chose to have kids. your choices, your consequences." Have a little understanding would ya?

Understand that whether we have kids or not, EVERYONE wants time with their family, and EVERYONE should get the chance.

kids · Oct 25, 2003

Good grief Ruby, can you imagine what she is going to be like once the baby is born? I'll bet she can't work next Christmas because it is Baby's first.

Yes, there are precautions that need to be taken now that she is pregnant but hello pregnancy is not carte blanc to not pull your weight, if it is making her sooo fragile maybe she shouldn't be working. I know that sounds "cold and uncaring" but for the most of us that have kids sucked it up and did our jobs (at least I did until my pregnancies turned high risk). There is nothing wrong with asking for help or asking for some accomidation/considerations but her "demands" go beyond advocating for her health.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 25, 2003

Originally posted by cannoli
Just because you don't have kids doesn't mean you don't have a life.

And this is the bottom line :)

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 25, 2003

And the way our floor is, if it's your first Christmas with "us", you work the holiday. If you're there next year you have that holiday off, UNLESS you WANT to work. You work every other Christmas, doesn't matter if you have kids or not, or dogs or chickens or goldfish, this is the FAIR way to try and please everyone (i know you can't really do that, but you can dream lol).

beepers40 · Oct 25, 2003

I just want to put in an opinion that part of the resentment around holiday scheduling comes from abusive work policies. When I started working as a nurse two years ago, I thought I understood what working on weekends and holidays would entail. I have three kids and a hubby with a very demanding job. I talked to my manager and the charge nurse about what might happen if I needed to trade for the occasional shift, as things do come up more often when you are juggling scheduling needs for five people vs just one or two. All assured me that trading was no problem, it was easy to get the time off when you needed it, etc. It was one of the reasons why I accepted the position there, as opposed to the other places I was considering. It didn't occur to me, of course, to ask if this were the case with the noc shift, too. Also, it wasn't until after I was hired that I was told about "policies" that weren't necessarily in the union contract, they were just unit policies. Such as, not only do you have to work every other weekend (Fri night and Sat night), you also have to work every other Sunday night too. So you never get a true weekend off, since you're always working either Sat. night or Sunday night every week.

Well guess what. In two years I worked nine out of ten holidays the first year, and eight out of ten the second. I had New Years Day off on the first year, and New Years Day and MLK day the second. I also worked all ten of the nights after (I worked noc shift) so that meant that I worked both Christmas Eve beginning at eleven pm and Christmas Day at eleven. And though I didn't have to go to work on New Year's Eve, I did have to go in at eleven on New Year's day, since that was not a holiday.

The union contract dictated that Christmas Day and New Years Day were signed up for on the basis of seniority. I would not have been able to spend Christmas with my children for the rest of the years they lived at home under this policy, as in two years the hospital hired only one new staffer who was a transfer from another unit, so I remained at the bottom of the seniority ladder. We used travellers to fill in the holes. Thanksgiving was not included so again it was seniority for requests for vacation time/time off. There went Thanksgiving for the rest of my kids' growing up years too. (My kids are school age, not small). Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc. etc. Also worked both Halloweens (not a holiday, but when you have kids...) I don't think I'm entitled to special treatment because I have kids. I don't think ANYONE should be expected to work EVERY holiday just because "you knew you would have to work holidays when you took this on." There are some very abusive work enviroments out there.

My husband finally told me I had to pick between my job and him. I quit and took a per diem position. I'm working Thanksgiving Day this year, taking the rest of the holiday weekend off, and taking the entire Christmas vacation off. No regrets. I'm lucky I'm able to do this. My poor co-workers at my old hospital will continue to have to work insane holiday schedules because they continue to be short staffed because of crazy policies like this.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2003

Originally posted by beepers40
The union contract dictated that Christmas Day and New Years Day were signed up for on the basis of seniority.

Totally unfair. Unions should represent EVERYBODY.

My spouse works in a department where there are only four of them. He's been there five years and has always been low on the seniority list. His other coworker tries to use seniority to schedule holidays. She's been there 15 years, he's been there 5. Neither are going anywhere. The seniority thing is so unfair.

Kudos for getting out and how fortunate you are to be able to do per diem.

BadBird, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2003

You know the requirements of the job when you accept. If you choose to have kids (I have 2) then you need to expect to work weekends and holidays and make plans for it. If you don't want to then consider another line of work.

Sekar · Oct 26, 2003

One of the many reasons I work in a Physician's Office. When I did work swings. I always found someone who wanted off on New Years and didn't mind working Christmas and we would work out deal as I don't care about New Years and prefer not to work on Christmas. It took some wheeling and dealing, but it usually worked out.