Shabbat issues

[savotinaRN]

I am RN for the last five years. Recently i went back to my jewish roots, and started observing Shabbat meaning I cannot work fridays evening and until saturday evening. I was working two part times positions and was able to manage it with a lot of stress to switch all those days. Now I got married to an observant jew. I started looking for a full time position and I realized that I am not getting any jobs because of my religion.

What can I do? If someone was ever in the same situation plese share how you managed. Thanks a lot.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Been there and done that......while in nursing school, and continuing on as a new grad, I had to work on holidays. Never had that issue before, and discussed with Rabbi at length. Bottom line was it was a greater mitzvah (obligation, not "good deed" for the uninitiated or misinformed!) to care for the sick and dying than it was to observe any holiday, shabbat included. It was a greater evil to turn away from the injured, ill, or terminal because of "holy" requirements....and that worked fine for me.

When I had the opportunity to shift my schedule (paid my dues?) I arranged to work Saturday nights into Sunday, Sunday nights, etc....and when I went to days, I worked every Sunday through Thursday instead of Friday or Saturday. I often switched holidays when it worked best for myself and someone else.

Irony is that I have a non-Jewish husband and have had to do some seriously creative scheduling to accommodate his family's holiday visits/desires along with my own! Yes, it CAN be done :)

[mclennan, BSN, RN]

Your rabbi may even tell you it is a Mitzvah to care for the needy on Shabbat!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Your rabbi may even tell you it is a Mitzvah to care for the needy on Shabbat!

I'd sure hope so, since it's a pretty basic obligation (this mitzvah is a requirement, not an option )

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Our girls work nights and extra Saturday nights to make up for not working on Fridays :)

[nurseladybug12]

It's a pretty wide known fact that nurses work holidays and weekends, maybe you shouldve considered that before you went into the profession...hospitals dont care about you celebrating whatever they need to be staffed. Sorry if thats rude, blunt, whatever, but I am sick of hearing about people needing this day and that day off , let's get real.

[nynursey_]

While I do think it's important for employers to be culturally sensitive (where possible), I have to say .. as a practicing Catholic, I've been mandated to work Sunday's, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Easter , etc. and unfortunately, religious affiliation has not been a viable option for seeking these holiday's off. I think it's commonplace that those things get sacrificed if you work in an inpatient hospital setting. Maybe not all of them, but some of them.

I'd speak to your rabbi to see if you can get some comfort in his thoughts on the matter. Healthcare, while rooted in healing, is sometimes dog-eat-dog to it's employees.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

While I do think it's important for employers to be culturally sensitive (where possible), I have to say .. as a practicing Catholic, I've been mandated to work Sunday's, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Easter , etc. and unfortunately, religious affiliation has not been a viable option for seeking these holiday's off. I think it's commonplace that those things get sacrificed if you work in an inpatient hospital setting. Maybe not all of them, but some of them.

I'd speak to your rabbi to see if you can get some comfort in his thoughts on the matter. Healthcare, while rooted in healing, is sometimes dog-eat-dog to it's employees.

Yup. Which is why I'm glad there are many options out there for working around these kinds of things, as several people have already mentioned. No perfect schedule exists for 99% of nurses, but I think the OP will find out the way to make it work for her, as many of us have done.

[nynursey_]

It's a pretty wide known fact that nurses work holidays and weekends, maybe you shouldve considered that before you went into the profession...hospitals dont care about you celebrating whatever they need to be staffed. Sorry if thats rude, blunt, whatever, but I am sick of hearing about all these people needing this day and that day off , let's get real.

I mean …

Examine a lot of other situations and you'll find this is a pretty common religious dilemma. Nearly every religion (I hesitate to say *all* because that's encompassing a large demographic) observes religious days, and not every religion is able to get said day off, or even requests the day off. And some do. You can't generalize one religion as a whole simply because the OP happens to be bringing about attention to her situation. That's just really, really harsh.

I'm choosing to believe you had a bad day and didn't think through your words. This is the only way I can rationalize your statement and not lose faith in our profession as humanitarians.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

Here are your options:

1. Get buddy to buddy with a Christian and be prepared to work their Sundays.

2. Per diem job nursing

3. Office nursing

4. Non-nursing

5. Think of it as doing God's work. I'm pretty sure God will be happy to see you caring for the sick and helpless more so than observing a holiday.

[OCNRN63, RN]

but kept hidden it can not be rooted out.....

Whatev.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Yup. Which is why I'm glad there are many options out there for working around these kinds of things, as several people have already mentioned. No perfect schedule exists for 99% of nurses, but I think the OP will find out the way to make it work for her, as many of us have done.

IF the OP wants to find a way to make it work for her. I got the distinct impression that the OP is looking for dispensation for taking off every Friday, Saturday and Jewish holiday.

[TU RN, DNP, CRNA]

I don't roll on Shabbos!!