Managing the Holidays

What are some of your ideas to make the Holidays brighter for you, your family and your patients?

No one wants to be in the hospital on Christmas; staff or patients.  Only the staff that are required to work and the very sick who cannot go home are in the hospital at this time. How can we make the best of our time for ourselves and our patients?

Scheduled for the Holiday?

The holidays are here, and many are looking forward to our holiday get-togethers. While others plan for these special events; we, as nurses, have to work our schedules around a working holiday. Nursing is a 24/7 profession, so we are often scheduled to be in the hospital.  How do you manage the balance of home and work to get through the holidays? As a seasoned nurse, I have worked many holidays. Here are some tips that I have learned through the years.

Tips for You

Know your holiday schedule

There is nothing worse than being blindsided by not being aware of the required holidays. My holidays alternate by year. I know I am off Thanksgiving this year, and I work Christmas; next year is the opposite. I have already talked to my out-of-state son and told him don’t fly in this year, but it would be nice for next year.

Plan for your celebrating early, late, or another time

I can still remember the excitement as a little girl when we came home from a Christmas Eve celebration to find Santa Claus had come to our house early. We ran excitedly into our home to find our living room filled with Santa’s early journey. That memory is one of my fondest childhood Christmas memories. I found out years later that my Dad, a firefighter, had to work Christmas that year.

Plan for events at work

Make the holiday fun! Do a Secret Santa, a potluck, and wear fun scrubs or hats, be silly; enjoy the time with your coworkers.

Enjoy the extra money

Holidays typically pay time and a half and shift differential. During a time of year when the spending is higher, it is nice to have the added money in your paycheck.

What about Our Patients?

No one wants to be in the hospital on Christmas. I work with pediatric inpatient rehabilitation, and families are torn as they try to juggle children at home and the child in the hospital. It is a difficult time for the entire family and a sad scenario for the patients enduring illness with the required hospitalization.

In addition, the pandemic has caused our hospital to be extremely quiet. Though decorated with Christmas flair, the halls are only bustling with staff, as the pandemic rules limit visitors. There are no longer friends or family popping in and out of rooms before bustling off to other holiday festivities. We need to attempt to make a difference for our patients during this time.

Tips for Your Patients

Cards or small gifts

Plan to bring a card or small gift for your patients on Christmas day to make their day (and yours) a little brighter.

Extra acts of kindness

Do something extraordinary! Assist your patient in a need that they have that day, face-timing their family or reading a book or whatever it is to make their day special.

Bring in a holiday puzzle or game

The inpatient setting can get boring. We will bring a Christmas puzzle and set it by the nurse’s station. It makes interaction for those that can leave their room.

Make a treat

Everyone enjoys something special so make a homemade treat for the patient that can have them.  Don’t forget about the visitors; many of them have missed their celebrations to sit with their loved ones.

Lend a listening ear

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is lend a listening ear to the patient or the family member. Being in the hospital during the holidays is difficult and lonely. So be the support that the patient needs. 

The holidays can be stressful and are not happy for many. We can make a difference in many individuals' lives. Isn't that why we became a nurse? So, begin planning early to make your holiday with your loved ones special and make that time a little better for your patients. With work and planning, you can continue to make great memories.