This just infuriates me!

[StressedOutNurse85]

it's that time of the year fellow nurses...heading into early october...

which means (cue the horror music): holiday schedule time!!! :angryfire

that's right, my floor has already put up a list for us to write in our preferences between thanksgiving, christmas, and new years.

now, i'm realistic. i knew as soon as i started working in a hospital that i would be working holidays, and i don't have a problem with that. it does get stressful with the planning of early or late celebrations and my family being 6 hours away from me, but it's manageable.

however, i must say that i do have a problem with a co-worker of mine who has only worked in peds for 5 months. she worked on an adult neuro unit before in the same hospital and hired in the same time as i did, so she has seniority over the new nurses hired in this year (but not over our group that hired in when she did).

she has made it known to some of the nurses on the floor that she will be having her "ankle surgery" the week after thanksgiving, and will be off for 8 weeks. she also said as a direct quote "i'll probably be working thanksgiving then." excuse me, what?!?! more like you will be working thanksgiving. when asked about the timing of her surgery, she said "my parents are going to florida for the winter and i need them to drive me around." apparently, they are currently overseas now and will be home in that time gap. well isn't that convenient!!! the one holiday that 90% of our night shift staff wants off (christmas), you'll be recovering from your elective ankle surgery. let's not forget about new years as well! i seriously had to walk away from the girl before i flew off the handle on her. i'm just pissed about the whole situation. the following things are what i would love to say to her, but i'm too professional to do that in a work setting (maybe i should get her phone number:lol2: )

1)i don't see how there isn't a hospital policy on having elective surgeries between november and january! i guess i'll make a note to have a boob job done next december!

2)i'm sure your ass will be driving 2 weeks after your minor elective surgery, why don't you just admit that you planned it on purpose to get christmas and new years off?

3)very few nurses on this floor like you... your laziness and incompetence have repeatedly been reported to our nurse manager who doesn't have the backbone to fire you. i think it's safe to say that your co-workers are not going to welcome you back with open arms when you return from your mini-vacation.

4) this sort of follows #3. there aren't many nurses who jump for joy at the thought of working holidays. sure, we do it and we tolerate it...but that doesn't mean we like it. the holidays are a time that we want to spend with our families too! show some respect towards your co-workers and go through the process like all of us have to do!

ok, so i'm done now...i feel better, lol. i apologize for the swearing, i'm just so angry:angryfire i wouldn't have an issue if she hadn't been working due to her ankle (she's been working full-time), or if she was having nonelective surgery, or having a baby. all of those situations are completely understandable...her situation isn't.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel. LOL I hope you feel better after the vent.

Invariably there are unhappy people around the holidays. Our holiday schedule came up and all the per diem people scheduled themselves off, and 90% of the rest of us expect Xmas Day off as well.

I went ahead and volunteered to work Xmas Day, but if people have their way, I'll be working alone. :)

[silmas RN]

It is always frustrating when you can't spend holidays with loved ones because of someone's selfishness. However, I did work at one hospital where they let us "save" our holidays and use them together. We either had an entire week off for Xmas or New Year's. We rotated every year and everyone was happy to get the "extra" time off.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

She said that it was for some sort of bone chip (I don't know all of the details). I understand that it's a surgery that probably has to be done, but the fact that she's been working the last 5 months with no problem and is now all of a sudden having it done the week after Thanksgiving? C'mon now, I'd say that's more than a coincidence. This also wasn't something that was scheduled a long time in advance either, because she had mentioned recently talking to our manager about it. Technically it probably would be 'non-elective', but it's just the principle of her working full time with no problems that gets me.

She MAY have constant pain -maybe it gets bad after she's worked her shift...she just might not walk around and complain about it ad nauseum.I had an elective surgery over the summer a few years ago and heard people talk about me behind my back.Someone ALWAYS has something to say-especially if they feel inconvenienced.Bottom line-we are all entitled to our time.At least with a planned leave the nurse manager has time to work on staffing.... Every facility should have some kind of rotating schedule for the major holidays.If you are stuck working somewhere that does not then you know what to do..I left a facility because of lousy bennies,short staffing and never getting a holiday off.I work every other major holiday now.Of course the per diem don't come in-that's a perk they get for not taking bennies or having a guaranteed schedule.As for the attitude that many working mothers have regarding those without kids---don't take that crap.THEY choose to have kids and work.They can work their share of the holidays just like everyone else..

[Altra, BSN, RN]

She said that it was for some sort of bone chip (I don't know all of the details). I understand that it's a surgery that probably has to be done, but the fact that she's been working the last 5 months with no problem and is now all of a sudden having it done the week after Thanksgiving? C'mon now, I'd say that's more than a coincidence. This also wasn't something that was scheduled a long time in advance either, because she had mentioned recently talking to our manager about it. Technically it probably would be 'non-elective', but it's just the principle of her working full time with no problems that gets me.

Surgeries are rarely scheduled "a long time in advance." That's just not the nature of surgeries.

Just to be clear ... are you pissed that she has been able to continue working (without pain to your knowledge) up until her surgery? Or do you mean you're pissed because she had "no problems" with the manager, going to her as a professional to say "My doctor & I have agreed that I need to have xyz procedure, this is when it will be done, and this is how long I expect to be off work." As is her right.

I understand how frustrating it can be to try to meet family demands and work holidays - like everyone else here I've been there. But just because you personally don't care for this person does not mean she did anything wrong. If I needed non-emergency surgery and I was faced with an invasive procedure, recovery and risk of possible complications, and time off work with a likely temporary reduction in income, you better believe I would do it at the right time for me, with all the notice I could possibly provide to my employer.

Sheesh.

[leslie :-D]

As for the attitude that many working mothers have regarding those without kids---don't take that crap.THEY choose to have kids and work.They can work their share of the holidays just like everyone else..

i agree.

but...

when my kids were little, all the other nurses (those whose kids were adults)insisted on working Christmas day for me.

the first yr i agreed graciously.

and i had cover every yr x 3-4 yrs after that.

and i could have gotten that day off, ongoing.

that's how generous my colleagues are.

but never in a million yrs would i "expect" single nurses to sacrifice their holidays in order to work.

that is just total bunk.

i continue to work every single Christmas, going on 7 yrs now.

there's never a shortage of people dying.

as for the op, even though i sympathize w/your frustration, i have found it best just to do what you're expected to, and not worry about anyone else.

stay out of the dynamics.

it's so easy to be pulled down in nsg.

for your own sanity, mind your beezwax.

not just for the holidays, but every day.

your bp will thank you.

leslie

[TweetiePieRN]

Oh, I forgot to add. I'm one of those nurses who had both of my babies in the summertime (2005 and 2007) thus giving me all the holidays off!! I take extended maternity leave off, so I won't be back until January.

Oh, and the 2nd birth was an ELECTIVE c-section. How's that for manipulating the holiday calendar lol.

[Midwest4me]

In our state hospital you get the holiday off if it falls on your day off or if you've been pre-approved for it off. There is no rotating holiday schedule. Oh then there are those people who call in ill on the holidays if they don't get the day off--nothing happens to them either--as long as you have sick time on the books, you can use and abuse it; the union protects them.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Oh, I forgot to add. I'm one of those nurses who had both of my babies in the summertime (2005 and 2007) thus giving me all the holidays off!! I take extended maternity leave off, so I won't be back until January.

Oh, and the 2nd birth was an ELECTIVE c-section. How's that for manipulating the holiday calendar lol.

Good job!!!

[Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN]

As someone who also had "elective surgery" during the holidays I really get steamed about some of the attitudes. I chose months in advance when my surgery was going to be because of schedules. Kids off school, when the census is traditionally low ( around the holidays) and when there would be people at home to help me. my elective surgery was an ankle surgery as well. I had my achilles tendon reattached. I walked around with a 3/4 torn achilles tendon for a year trying to get it to heal on it's own. You may not have been able to tell as i walked around that it was killing me and I went home every night in such pain that i sometimes could not sleep but by the time i was back at work i put on the work face and did my job. It killed me to walk and I would limp around the unit but I would sit every chance I got. If that made me lazy in peoples eyes so be it. I had to take care of myself first and not worry about the needs and wants of the unit. holiday or no holiday our needs are first.

[sharona97, BSN, RN]

It took me along time to figure that out. I'd barely get a drink of water early on, let alone go to the BR. Once I realized some self-worth, it clicked. And the beauty of it is that you don't have to manipulate or judge somebody to take care of yourself. Good post!

I've done some wound care on that tendon,eeeeewwwwwwhhh!

[FUNNYGIRLRN]

This board is a great place for people to vent. I completley understand what you were trying to say and that you were upset about the entire situation. That would irritate me too. The reason why the other nurse is going to be out of work wouldn't bother me but just the fact that I would get stuck being the one to have to work would. It is sad that people get so offended over a post where someone is just looking for a little sympathy regarding an upsetting situation. This will be my first time having to be away from my family during the holidays and that makes me very sad. I hope that no matter what happens as far as work goes you have happy holidays.:icon_razz:

[cmo421]

quote=TweetiePieRN;2418552]Oh, I forgot to add. I'm one of those nurses who had both of my babies in the summertime (2005 and 2007) thus giving me all the holidays off!! I take extended maternity leave off, so I won't be back until January.

Oh, and the 2nd birth was an ELECTIVE c-section. How's that for manipulating the holiday calendar lol.

:lol2: