working on Christmas?

Nurses General Nursing

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I've been a nurse for almost 8 years. I have always volunteered to work EVERY holiday (newyears, 4th of July, Thanksgiving etc...) just to have Christmas off to be with my family. I am 6 months into a new ER job and they have scheduled me for Christmas Eve AND Christmas day:sniff: My poor kid's are really upset. My husband is also a nurse and is scheduled to work Christmas day this year too.

I had to tell my parent's that we were both working and ask if they would take the kids. My mom was pretty nasty and less then understanding. She said she didn't think it was "fair" to ask that I work Christmas when I have kids. I told her that people still get sick on Christmas and I wasn't the only employee with children.

Here is what I need from you all...;) Please help me explain to my (never had a job outside of the home) mother why I have to work Christmas. and second...Help me understand why I have to work Christmas:sniff: :lol2:

Here is what i think.... It DOES TOO matter if you have kids....

...For those of you that think it's not your problem .... Shame on you. You all had your childhoods too. Your are not just taking it from the parents, but from the children as well. ...

...But to the hospitals that are begging for nurses, and can't understand the turnover..... quit coddeling the new nurses (IE recruitment bonus's , & cush holiday schedules) and do a little something for your nurses who have shown some loyalty to you.

It seems like there are two issues here. Your feeling that you have more reason to have the holiday off because you have children and your feeling that you are not appreciated by your Admin. While I have little to no sympathy for you regarding your kids, I do feel for you regarding your Admin.

You knew what nursing was about before you requested a job at your hospital. Having children does not make anyone more worthy of having the holiday off. LOTS of people work holidays, not just nurses and they manage. 12/25 isn't even Christ's actual birthday anyway so there is little reason why the day couldn't be celebrated the day before or the day after. It *still* isn't going to be Christ's birthday.

As I explained earlier in this thread I always volunteer to work Christian Holidays because I'm not a Christian. It seems only logical to me to let the Christians have the day off. However it isn't because they are more worthy since they have children. It is because I THOUGHT the holiday was a religious one for Christians. I guess not, instead it seems to be more of a tradition than a religious day of worshiping.

Makes me want to rethink working every single 12/25.

Specializes in ICU, Education.

I have done my share, as i said. Working horrible holiday schedules as a "future trade" wasn't why I did it. I did it because it was expected, and I was fine with that. As you all have said, I knew what I was getting into when I chose the profession. Also, I do not expect others to work ALL the holidays, just because I have kids & they do not. I said I wanted Christmas eve off, not EVERY holiday. I also mentioned that several newer nurses had schedules i would have loved when I was a new nurse and would love right now. Working nights, there is twice the holidays to worry about. The eves can be very important. There is no way to make it home by the time my son wakes. After reading all your posts, i realize that it IS for me that i want it. I want to share that morning Christmas joy with my son, as he won't be a child for ever. I guess I don't expect those without children to work Cristmas EVE because they don't have children, but because it is maybe their turn(hey I did it for years), and hey I AM willing to work Christmas, Thanksgiving and New years eve. I didn't say I wasn't compromising. I guess what ever the reason we want it off, doesn't really matter except to ourselves& our families. I CAN say that after my son is grown, I will always volnunteer to work the Chritstmas Eve for those with young children, because I think Christmas morning is one of the most special things about childhood. I DO think seniority should count for something, if nothing else just to get your 1 first choice off. So much is done for recruitment, and so little for retention. And i HAVE put in my time and done my share.

If it's my turn to work on a holiday, no problem. But if it's my turn to be off, I don't want to hear any guilt trips about why I should work because I don't have kids or don't celebrate the holiday.

And as I said before, children do not entitle someone to special consideration. (Lord knows I've seen enough special consideration given to people with kids that single people never get.)

Makes me want to rethink working every single 12/25.

That's how I finally came to my decision to take my holidays off as they came.

Specializes in ICU, Education.

I have never seen special consideration given to those with children, by administration. I have never expected special consideration because i have children. I HAVE MYSELF (in the past and will again in the future) give special consideration to those with children @ christmas. I DO expect special consideration shown to me because of my years of service & all the christmas's i worked prior to this. I would have never come to a new job and expected the holiday schedule that some of these newer nurses are getting.

Specializes in ICU, Education.

Also, if i was scheduled on Christmas or EVE & wanted it off I would NEVER (and have never) asked a coworker to work my holiday. I think that is ridiculous. I hold the management responsible for the holiday schedule (not my coworkers)

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
here is what i think.... it does too matter if you have kids. i have been doing this 20 years. .

obviously, it matters to you. but it shouldn't need to matter to your co-workers. your co-workers are just as deserving of a holiday off as you are, and they shouldn't have to suck it up and work your christmas for you. after all, you are the one who chose to have the children. it is highly unlikely that your co-workers impregnated you against your will. and you are the one who chose to continue working in the hospital setting after you had your children. someone has to work the holidays, and it shouldn't matter who has kids and who doesn't -- we're all deserving of the holiday off. so we take turns. suck it up and deal.

ruby (who doesn't have children after a bout of cervical cancer in her 20s, but would love to spend christmas with her aging parents and her step-daughter.)

Specializes in Psychiatry.
Here is what i think.... It DOES TOO matter if you have kids. IQUOTE]

While I value that you have an opinion, I totally disagree!

Because I do not have children, does not mean that I don't have other family that I would like to see on Christmas. My nieces and nephews mean the world to me, and I do not see them very often. Would it be fair to say to them, "Sorry I can't spend time with you at the holidays, I have to compensate for people that have their OWN kids!"

Yikes! Holidays are just as important to me, I'm sure, as they are to you.:rolleyes:

Working nights, there is twice the holidays to worry about.

That is true (and annoying.) On my scheduled holidays, I have to work the first 7 hours of the day, and on my holidays "off," I have to work the last 5 hours of the day. Woohoo for holidays "off" where I get 2 extra hours of holiday at home!:uhoh3: What kills me is they only require 8 hours for your holiday, so you get the extra 4 hours of the eve off if it's your holiday to work, but you still have to come in at 7p on the holiday if it's your holiday "off." (When it would make much more sense to get the 8 hour shift and go in at 11 on the 11p of your holiday off.) But when the system is created and enforced by women that have never worked a night in their life, you can't expect it to make sense!

So you didn't work all those Christmases years ago as a future trade, but the nurses junior to you must give up their Christmas with their family because you did it before and now have kids? No one should have to work every holiday, but apparently it is your turn to work Christmas this year. It isn't very nice but my gut reaction is "Deal." Are you going to want every Christmas off until your son turns 12, or 18?

Having worked many Christmases before your younger coworkers were probably even nurses doesn't mean they owe you Christmas off- your working every Christmas for the last however many years it was benefited your coworkers and mangement at that time- today's coworkers can not be expected to repay a favor you did for someone else long ago.

At work we are all nurses- not nurses with families, not nurses with young kids, not nurses who have daycare or soccer or ballet problems, just nurses. The job has it's requirements and many of us resent people who use non-work reasons to pass their work responsibilities on to others. Seniority has a place in the world, but everyone has to take their turn at the unpleasant parts of the job.

I am sorry you did not get your first choice of holiday off, but you can't have every Christmas off for 18 years. You might not make it home before your son wakes up, but why should your coworkers miss their holiday with their family because you chose to have a child? A child who could be still enjoying the anticipation when you got home?

I've worked extra holidays in my day, too, but I don't think anyone owes me anything for it. Next year I'll have a young child at Christmas time- and I'll be on for my baby's first Christmas. If a coworkers is willing to change with me, I'll pay whatever price he/she asks. If not, it's my turn and since I accepted the responsibility of the job I will be there.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

The solution to anyone feeling "screwed" by the holiday schedule lies in creative scheduling, designed by those who do the work. Esp for nights, this is critical.

Here is how it works where I am: the shifts are split into 6 hour blocks we can sign up for one or two or more as we choose-----and they really do fill up very quickly. Everyone is happy w/this.

Talk about creative: I am working a weird split, but it will work for me. I am doing a 1p to 1a on Christmas Eve-----to satisfy a need for a dayshift afternoon on Christmas Eve and a Nightshift first half need 7p-1a which was unfilled. It works for us all....I get to go home at 1a and get a few hours' sleep before the kids get up....and spend the day w/them. The nurses are happy cause everyone is getting time off for the family. Working voluntary 6-hour shifts has worked well for years where I am. No one feels "screwed" this way, not even us night-shifters.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
For those of you that think it's not your problem .... Shame on you. You all had your childhoods too. Your are not just taking it from the parents, but from the children as well.

And i recall correctly, in my childhood, having parents that had to work holidays, and i turned out just fine. :rolleyes:

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