But I have little kids!

sjoe · Oct 11, 2003

3rd asks: "What does your union have to say?"

People with children are NOT given preference just because they have kids. Everyone is treated the same way in terms of scheduling, kids or not. By the same token, employees can, by mutual, written consent approved by their supervisor, switch shifts around among themselves (so long as this does not create extra overtime, etc.).

The way it ought to be, IMHO.

Since you asked.

cannoli · Oct 11, 2003

A lot work in areas of the country that seem to have never heard of a union, or have been threatened with termination in years past for even the mention of a union.

jking · Oct 11, 2003

I'm a mother of 4 children and if it helps to make you feel better, I have always taken my turn at working the major holidays. It's the only fair way to do it. I have seen some of my single co-workers get the raw end of the deal on the holidays. The "mommies" always guilt them into trading, then don't return the favor when the "singles" want the day off.

fab4fan · Oct 11, 2003

And it's not single or childless people that I think should work Christmas. I think that people who don't think it's a special holiday, or those that don't mind working because they celebrate on Christmas Eve. Or split the shift with me! It's the 12 hours that kills me on Christmas

Well, I don't celebrate the holidays, and that is exactly how I got taken advantage of, and not just in one place. Everyone felt like it was my responsibility to work since I didn't celebrate. Well, maybe I just wanted to be off when my friends were off; what's it to everyone else what I do on that day.

Tiki_Torch · Oct 11, 2003

I remember as a little girl visiting family in Georgia during Christmas or Thanksgiving holidays, that my Aunt Sara who was an RN in a Recovery Room on 3-11, would attend our party/lunch and soon thereafter would change into her uniform, tell everyone "Good-bye" and leave to go to work. We all understood that "Aunt Sara is a nurse and nurses have to work on holidays because people are still sick on holidays." Sara had 3 children by the way. She never complained to us about having to leave our party and not being able to hang around with us the rest of the day and evening. Sure we missed her but it made us really take the time to lavish her with love and attention during the short time she would be around on those party days.

My point: I learned as a child, before I ever applied to nursing school, that being a nurse meant I'd most likely be working holidays...period. Thankfully my Aunt Sara taught me by example one of the facts of nursing life--- nurses work holidays-- so I entered the nursing profession with eyes wide open on this subject.

I don't have children but I do have parents and a sister and other family members with whom I enjoy spending any holidays I'm off with. My parents are getting old and not in the best of health now, and just because I'm offered a holiday off doesn't mean I want to work for someone else and end up missing what could be my last Christmas or whatever with my Mom or Dad.

I agree with those of you who say nursing students should be taught the facts of normal hospital nurse schedules in their first few weeks of nursing school so they can wrap their minds around the idea of working holidays and either accept their probable fate or decide on another line of study if they can't bear the thought of working holidays.

Now I'll get off my little soapbox too.:chair:

bluesky, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2003

Call me a bad mommy but I sort of like working Christmas cuz;

1. Staff are generally in a good mood and there's lot of free food.

2. Holliday pay

3. I don't have to cook at home (unpaid labor) and my family spoils me (out of pity) when I get home.

4. Good excuse not to indulge in consumer feeding frenzy (read save cash)

5. Opportunity to explain to my children what the real meaning of Christmas is (celebrating the birth of someone who gave his life for others) by serving others on this day.

Granted I'm not too religious but that's just my 2 cents

Lex

Tiki_Torch · Oct 11, 2003

Bluesky,

I love your positive point of view!!!!! It should carry you far in life and be an excellent example for your children too!

I'd also bet money that your co-workers adore you!!!!!

fergus51 · Oct 12, 2003

One day I will never forget is when a coworker wanted me to work mother's day for her and I said no. She got really mad and almost yelled "Why not? It's not like you are a mother!". I said "So, I may not BE a mother, but I do still HAVE a mother"

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Oct 12, 2003

As my children are grown and they like to have Christmas at home with my grandchildren, we have tried to get together at Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. I have traded days off, worked extra, and done lots of favors for other staff to get these days off. Now this year we will not be doing our traditional holiday celebrations. I hope to be working again by that time and fully expect to pull my share of holiday rotation. I will do what is expected of me, I do not expect to get any special favors. It is part of nursing to work holidays, weekends and other special times. We know that going into this job. So I agree with those who say "suck it up" and take your turn. Having little kids in no special pass for every Christmas off. Oh yes, when my kids were small and I had to work Christmas, then we celebrated on the 24th or the 26th. It did not matter, what mattered was we were together .

LuvsOB · Oct 12, 2003

At my hospital you either work christmas eve and day or new years eve and day. It's in the contract and it rotates every year. We can trade if we want. For all the other holidays you work or are off depending how it falls on your schedule.It works out well. No whining because everyone knows if they had christmas last year it will be new years this year. I don't think family or religion should ever be a factor in deciding who works holidays or who stays over for a double.

Rustyhammer · Oct 12, 2003

I start now by accepting shifts when co-workers want a day off for whatever reason. I'll pretty much work whenever and take the overtime pay but I'll also let them know "Sometime I'll need you to work for me, I'm going to want some time off for the holidays."

Paying your debts in advance is a great way to assure the holidays off.

-Russell

nowplayingEDRN · Oct 12, 2003

Well, I must put my 2 cents into this foray. Tweets, love, I feel for you and your frustration. Where I used to work, the people with kids got no preferential treatment, but those that had been there for ever did and it seemed like the same folks got Christmas off every year, even when I voiced that it would be nice that for someone w/kids it would be nice to be home just once. But I was low man on the totem pole so to speak........and for 5 years I worked every holiday there was....I was on nights and the one year that i was supposed to get Christmas off, i ended up splitting it with another girl cause they had no one to work it.

It was not unusual for me to work Christmas eve, come hom,e and put finishing touches on things and then sleep for 2 hours. i was blessed with 2 very good little kids at that time. They were quite content with their stockings while mommy napped an dit became a holiday tradition that on Christmas morning, they could take their stockings and go thru them but they could not touch the pressies under the tree and they even in their teens do the same thing. Now the last 5 years, I have been blessed that I have not had to work very many holidays at all.......and there were a couple of years that I worked none at all......but i am a firm believer in the pick your top 3 or 4 holidays and rotate out so that everyone gets a chance to have holiday time with their family. Don't get me wrong, I still like to be with my family on the holidays but folks don't stop getting sick or hurt on the holiday...and fair is fair......I hope you get the holiday off Tweety......you deserve it and if you have seniority over the new folks you should get first choice this year. (((hugs)))

PS: You can always rant and vent on me...I make an excellent sounding board.