Do you ever feel guilty on your days off (not sick days)?

avotoasted · Oct 1, 2021

LOL no I don't. My off days are MY days. Can't pour from an empty cup.

topazann · Oct 2, 2021

It's my day off. I can do what I want. I work all week, and my weekends usually involve running errands or seeing friends/family, so having a day to be lazy is wonderful.

Once or twice a month my SO and I 'plan' a lazy day. Mostly in which we go "do we have plans Sunday? No? Alright, we'll run all the errands on Saturday, but groceries and ***, then let's not leave the house on Sunday."

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allnurses Guide · Oct 2, 2021

6 hours ago, topazann said:

Once or twice a month my SO and I 'plan' a lazy day. Mostly in which we go "do we have plans Sunday? No? Alright, we'll run all the errands on Saturday, but groceries and ***, then let's not leave the house on Sunday."

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I do this as well. I work 5 days one week and 6 days the 2nd week. I love a rainy Winter Sunday with a fire in the the fire place a cup of green tea and a good horror movie.

SilverBells, BSN · Oct 3, 2021

Nope. For one thing, I'm usually way too tired to feel guilty about anything on my days off. Most of my days off are spent sleeping.

When I do get to have a day off where I'm not completely exhausted, I spend my time cherishing the peace I'm experiencing. I try not to think about work as most of my life already revolves around demanding patients and family members and dramatic coworkers. These people don't need to affect or be a part of my personal time off, too.

DaisyRN, BSN · Oct 5, 2021

Literally N-E-V-E-R

jobellestarr · Oct 5, 2021

On 9/24/2021 at 7:04 AM, Ele_phant said:

Do you ever feel bad or 'spoiled' on your off days? I've worked a lot of extra shifts last 3 weeks and now have 3 days in a row off. I've been looking forward to it so much but now feel like I can't enjoy it or that I don't work enough. Do you ever feel like that? Yet, I know if I booked more shifts I'd be knackered.

This is why administration preys on nurses. And a well meaning suggestion is to read “codependent no more” by Melody Beattie.

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Oct 6, 2021

On 9/24/2021 at 8:04 AM, Ele_phant said:

Do you ever feel bad or 'spoiled' on your off days? I've worked a lot of extra shifts last 3 weeks and now have 3 days in a row off. I've been looking forward to it so much but now feel like I can't enjoy it or that I don't work enough. Do you ever feel like that? Yet, I know if I booked more shifts I'd be knackered.

I stopped feeling bad about it the day they called begging me to come in on my day off that I caved only to find out that they cancelled the agency nurse and left us with super crappy staffing….so they guilted me into coming in on my day off, I finally said yes, and then I find out that they cancelled the nurse they were paying more than they were paying me (I worked for the agency so I knew what they were paying. I was PRN and still made $10 less/hour-I just could work agency for a hospital if I worked for them or had worked staff for them within the past year- because the organization that owned the agency also owned the hospital system) only to completely stiff me when I came into a complete crap show assignment. From then on the calls went to voicemail. I was mad. They had extra help available that we needed-and cancelled them.

Snatchedwig, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Oct 6, 2021

LauraF, RN, ASN, CNA, LPN, RN · Oct 6, 2021

I do not feel bad when I am off. I earned my time off. I have picked up extra shifts when needed. I do feel guilty a bit when I take PTO. It is sometimes hard to cover 12 hour night shifts.