I asked for Christmas off and they...

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2013

I have a feeling Christmas and New Years will be understaffed because this year, thanksgiving was understaffed. Even though we are all given holiday rotations, somehow holidays are still short.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Nov 30, 2013

Working holidays is a part of hospital nursing. Fortunately, I've always worked places where they were relatively fair about holidays off. The worst was when we were still working eight hour shifts -- you got ONE of the three high-value winter holidays off. I got Thanksgiving one year and New Year's one year. Another year I worked eight hours on Christmas Day, then caught a flight back home to the midwest to spend the last hours of Christmas and New Year's. My parents and extended family waited and celebrated Christmas Eve on the Christmas Day that I arrived, and we had our Christmas on Boxing Day.

I hear a lot of nurses who have kids complain that they should have priority on having the holiday off because THEY have "a family." That little baby who is celebrating his first Christmas can't read the calendar and won't know that he's celebrating on December 22 instead of the 25th, and the kindergartner whose friends remind him that Christmas is WEDNESDAY, not FRIDAY this year can understand that Santa is making an extra special trip to HIS house on Friday because Daddy has to take care of sick people on Wednesday. Teenagers will be happy to spend Christmas with the family on Friday because that means they can spend the 25th at the BFF's or the SO's house on the actual holiday. Two Christmases -- what a deal! I've only heard a couple of valid reasons for having Christmas off when it isn't your turn -- "my son surprised the family -- he's home on leave from Iraq", "Mom's cancer is terminal -- she won't last four months", and "the soloist for our Church got laryngitis and they've asked me to take her place." (Yes, I worked all three of those -- I volunteered.)

Christmas isn't about the date on the calendar -- it's about family and friends and giving and so much more. New Year's -- OK, that's about the date. I've had some really great New Year's Eve celebrations with my friends at work, and some really nice ones with my husband at a nice restaurant or with a bottle of champagne in front of our fireplace at home. But I get every other New Year's off. I can't complain.

The thing is, we can choose to be unhappy about working holidays because we work in a hospital. Or we can choose to make our own holiday on our own special day when we can get together with family and friends. I choose the second. It's a whole lot more fun!

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Nov 30, 2013

My problem is not working the holidays but the unfair rotations that some due to work schedule out of town trips when they know full well they are expected to be working. Those who did not make " last minute out of town " plans for their scheduled holiday are punished by having to those who skirt their responsibility. This just creates animosity. & resentment among coworkers.

The funny thing when I was single. & childless working in ED, I volunteered for Christmas Eve/Day and New Years Eve/ Day because I could and some of the coworkers who were parents claimed I was trying to hog overtime!!!!

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 30, 2013

I just worked 4.5 hours on Thanksgiving and 12 hours on Black Friday (both are considered holidays where I am working). I am slated to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (12-hour shifts) and New Year's Day. Even though it sucks, I'm actually excited about the holiday pay. I'm paying my way through college, and school ain't cheap! After this, I will have enough to pay for this upcoming semester (and study abroad, if I get chosen) and have enough to cover part of my second to last semester (all if I don't get chosen for the study abroad). And hey, I'm getting eight hours of overtime this week on top of 20 hours of holiday pay. 8)

I say get it while you can. I'm young and single, so it doesn't bother me *too* much, but when I become a mother, I doubt I will be so thrilled to work the holidays, but for now, I like having a nice nest egg and not having to worry about how I'm going to cover next semester's tuition.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 30, 2013

I worked Thanksgiving, was supposed to work this weekend and got put on-call for today. We will be overstaffed. Our surgeons aren't scheduling electives during Christmas, so that just means traumas (I work an ortho floor). I think they overstaff because they know people will call out even though they aren't supposed to. On a 31 bed unit, we only had 20 pts Thursday. 12 d/c'd Friday.

Katie71275 · Nov 30, 2013

I worked Thanksgiving(and the entire week of Thanksgiving) and will work Christmas Eve 7p-7a) and New Years Eve/Day.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Nov 30, 2013

I am actually lucky & had off Thanksgiving, Christmas Day & New Years Day. But I kinda wish I worked for the extra pay. I don't care if I work or don't. My parents are divorced & I'm use to celebrating on days that AREN'T the actual holiday. I will be a mother next year & I will still work holidays, the baby won't know if it's Christmas Eve or not. Plus the extra pay will be nice.

sharpeimom · Nov 30, 2013

When I was single, I always volunteered to work on Christmas so the people with kids could be off. It was never a big deal because my mom and assorted family could still celebrate either later in the day or on another day. For years, the entire extended family gathered at my parents' house, and that always stayed the same.

I'd often have New Year's Eve and New Year's Day off. I'd go to Easter Mass at sunrise, then go in to work. Summer holidays weren't really an issue. Since my marriage, summer holidays aren't an issue because he has all summer, three weeks off at Christmas, a week at Easter, spring break in March, plus a couple of odd holidays, and he's finished teaching in early April. Because of that time off, having traditional holidays off has become much less important.

amoLucia · Nov 30, 2013

My problem is not working the holidays but the unfair rotations that some due to work schedule out of town trips when they know full well they are expected to be working. Those who did not make " last minute out of town " plans for their scheduled holiday are punished by having to those who skirt their responsibility.
Talking about staff who amazingly have preplanned plans for the holidays ... Many years ago, I worked with one gal who always seemed to conveniently preschedule ELECTIVE minor surgery for the big holiday stretch. This was back in the day when surgeries were more than same day in & out clinic procedures.
She had it down to a science how to use her vaca time, sick time, & holiday time to combine with short term disability. She always had nice holiday time off while the rest of us had to cover the holiday minus her.

ttt4271 · Nov 30, 2013

I think nurses who are parents just need to be flexible and proactive. Planning family events and holiday celebrations is key! We often celebrate Christmas the weekend before or after depending on my work schedule. Once in a while I do miss an extended family event but that's the price of the job. I don't have to work many holidays anymore but when I was in the regular every other holiday rotation I made sure to be flexible. I would trade with corkers so that they would do the same if something really important to me like a child's Christmas program was on my day to work. I have rarely had to miss anything like that, because I would plan ahead and trade favors to make sure of it.

ausrnurse · Nov 30, 2013

I was told this year that "only people with families get Christmas off". I totally expected to be working Christmas, and I'm not upset about that but uhhh, what? Just because I don't have kids, doesn't mean I don't have a family!