Do nurses get holidays off?

[Jmiami]

Some have kids, some don't. Some value Thanksgiving and Christmas over the New Years holidays. How often do you find yourselves working important holidays? I have a 2 YO and am looking forward to a nursing career, but if that means missing out on my daughters thanksgivings and christmases growing up it does make me think twice.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I dont care about holidays. I dont have much family left. We make time at other points of the year to celebrate just like we always have. So I always volunteer to work holidays for people with kids. Id much rather they make some good memories with their children then be forced to work.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

If you have to work a holiday take it as a good life lesson to teach your kid. My children are proud of me and proud of what I do. If I have to work they understand. They are ok with opening presents a day early (come on what kid isn't.) or at night or in the morning. Whatever the case may be they would insist on waiting until I was home to do something as a family instead of doing it alone. It's all about how we raise our children, if they aren't able to compromise and have to be brats about making an adjustment then maybe they aren't deserving of presents. I would be more prone to ask for a birthday off then a holiday or whatever day their birthday party is on. The holidays are easy to tweak.

My dad was in the navy and was often gone on the ship for 4-6 months at a time for the first 15 or so years of his career, I rarely got to see him and can't really remember holidays with him. I have never once resented him for this, we have had many of issues through the years but his time away to serve his country is never something I had issues with.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

kooky korky said:

perhaps the difference is that your father was gone for only 2 years. for those like nurses, cops, fire fighters, others who work in 24/7/365 professions, it's the same battle every single year for 30, 45 years or so. and for many of us, not seeing the kids open their presents on christmas is a very painful thing. or missing the family dinner of tg, or the picnic on the 4th or jewish holidays if you're jewish or whatever. depending on what shift you're working, sleep enters into the equation, too. so it's not just "a few hours".

i know there are pains and sacrifices that lots of people make. yet, some of us sacrifice more than others and it's, like i said, every year for a great many years. it gets mighty old and hurts worse each year, seems like.

Why are your kids opening their presents when you're not there anyway? If your kids are celebrating christmas when you're not there -- unless you're divorced and there are custody issues -- you're far too attached to the calendar. That's a sacrifice you chose to make.

[Glimpsethepast]

I have been a nurse for 27 years. When I started out as a casual 'call in' I worked every single holiday and did this for three years straight. Once I became 'part time' I was then eligible to work one, have one off. I had young children by then so I was grateful to get that every second Christmas off. I have been fulltime for several years now, the kids are grown, and now I find myself actually volunteering to work Christmas day. I still celebrate usually in the evening or my next day off. Because I have been with the same hospital for all these years I get a tremendous amount of vacation time. I tend to request vacation days just before Christmas and just after and I always get them ? This way I get quality time with the kids and grandchildren, and still know maybe I have helped out a MOM or DAD with a young family to have the BIG day off.:

[FlyingScot, RN]

Glimpsethepast said:

This way I get quality time with the kids and grandchildren, and still know maybe I have helped out a MOM or DAD with a young family to have the BIG day off.

This is nice of you but I need to point out the other side of the story and why the BIG day may be important to childless people. I have had two late term miscarriages. Can you imagine how it makes me feel when a staff member says to me "Well, you don't have any children so Christmas morning shouldn't matter to you". Well it does, because it's sometimes painful and being expected to work just rubs salt in the wound.

[ninisasa85]

Lets not talk about holidays, weekends off are like presents. And even vacation slots have to balloted for the 2012, and it is still 2011!!! Nursing is constant and sick people dun take a day off, in fact they love to flood during festive season...:)) But never fret, tommorow is a new day.

[DixieRedHead, ASN, RN]

I happened to be off one Christmas. I have a son who was grown. I offered to go in and work from 5 AM - 9AM. That way at least one third shifter could be home Christmas Morning, and one first shifter could get up early, have Christmas morning and come in later.

Guess what, nobody wanted it. They wanted it all or nothing. Go figure. I never offered again.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

Take comfort in the fact that your children are little so you will (God willing) have many,many more holidays with them-on whatever calender day you choose to celebrate them.

I detest it when co-workers with children whine and complain about "missing" the holiday because they must work their share. This Christmas could be the last for any of us-or our loved ones.Cut me a break.Look to the side-maybe that nurse over there has a husband or parent with terminal cancer and this year really will be there last.

[Guest 360983]

As a kid, I thought it was AWESOME that Santa came a day early for kids whose parents worked on Christmas.

[OCNRN63, RN]

Kooky Korky said:

Perhaps the difference is that your father was gone for only 2 years. For those like nurses, cops, fire fighters, others who work in 24/7/365 professions, it's the same battle every single year for 30, 45 years or so. And for many of us, not seeing the kids open their presents on Christmas is a very painful thing. Or missing the family dinner of TG, or the picnic on the 4th or Jewish holidays if you're Jewish or whatever. Depending on what shift you're working, sleep enters into the equation, too. So it's not just "a few hours".

I know there are pains and sacrifices that lots of people make. Yet, some of us sacrifice more than others and it's, like I said, every year for a great many years. It gets mighty old and hurts worse each year, seems like.

I'm sorry, but the sacrifices nurses make pale in comparison to the sacrifices of those in the military.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

flyingscot said:

this is nice of you but i need to point out the other side of the story and why the big day may be important to childless people. i have had two late term miscarriages. can you imagine how it makes me feel when a staff member says to me "well, you don't have any children so christmas morning shouldn't matter to you". well it does, because it's sometimes painful and being expected to work just rubs salt in the wound.

we all have families -- i really wanted to spend "the big day" with my parents the year my father was diagnosed with oral cancer and told he had less than six months. or the year that i had cervical cancer and wasn't sure i'd be around the next year. yes, it's nice for parents with small children to be able to have christmas off -- but it's nice for anyone to have it off. parents were lucky enough to be able to have children when they wanted to . . . the fact that i wasn't able to doesn't mean i should work christmas for them for the rest of my career.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

ocnrn63 said:

i'm sorry, but the sacrifices nurses make pale in comparison to the sacrifices of those in the military.

there's no comparison to being in a war zone, being shot at. or even just being overseas and not able to see your family at all for months on end. working 12 hours on christmas is really no big deal next to that. we at least get to go home to our families at the end of our shift; soldiers do not.