jmcan999

I need advice on how to handle the issue of taking vacation time at my hospital. I am relatively new at my job so seniority is an issue but it seems that I can't take even half the vacation time that is alloted each year. Since our hospital operates on a paid time off "PTO" model, we get approximately 7 weeks off a year. This includes sick time. In addition, we accrue hours for holiday time since we never actually have any additional time off during a holiday week like the rest of the professional working world. For example, you may be scheduled off for the holiday but you still work the same 37.5 hours you do every week. I've requested several times to use holiday time and am told they "can't do it" due to staffing issues. I was lucky enough to get a week off in June. But my request to use 2 weeks time in October was denied, again, due to staffing issues. So, I am coming up on working a year and have only been able to use 2 of my 7 weeks vacation, and not one holiday hour. To add insult, i'm told if we don't use our time and it accrues above a certain number of hours...we lose it. No pay, no time off. I took this job because of the great vacation benefit. THE JOB IS STRESSFUL!!! I need the time off and quite frankly I've earned it. I'm so disgusted with this and stunned. I came from a healthcare facility (as a dietitian) where I was respected and treated, as well as regarded as a valuable employee and a professional. Nursing is a second career and it is so clear now why there is such a shortage of nurses, why burnout is high and retention is low. I get the sense that management regards us all as "pains in the butt" and I really get an unspoken message that they don't think we actually deserve that time. Sorry for such a long rant. I would really appreciate any thoughful advice on how to address this issue. Should I find another job, consider organizing a union?