It's that time of year again, even though the holiday schedule has been out for a year, people are making last minute switches. No big deal except for a co-worker that approached me, after seeing i have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off.
Started out nice: "I saw you had both days off, are you interested in trading them?" I said "Actually i'd like to keep both days off, my family has been through a lot, my dad's brother died a couple of weeks ago, and i'd like to go back home for those days." She said "Hmm, guess i won't be home for my kids for Christmas." I didn't say anything or do anything. Then after a minute she says "You don't have kids, what do you need Christmas off for?":angryfire
It's a wonder my head didn't explode. First off it wasn't her dang business what i wanted Christmas off for anyway, secondly how dare she make such a comment, as if those days won't mean squat to me all because i don't have children.
I'm sure her kids are important to her, i'm sure she would like to be there on those days, but the fact that i do not have children doesn't mean that things in my life are no less important. Nor should it mean that i should want to rearrange my life to accomodate someone that does. Which i've had to do a few times as a result of her taking 3 days weekends since august (we do self-scheduling). As a result of her doing this, i get screwed out of 3 days weekends 90% of the time. Her excuse for needing 3 days weekends? "Because i have kids." Not "My kid(s) has an appt., game, tournament, etc." "Because i have kids."
In no way am i knocking her because she has kids, or anyone, but it's almost like she expects accomodation from people because of the kids. It's not fair to everyone else. Everyone else manages and they have children. And everyone else at work wouldn't have made such a self-entitling statement about someone with no children having the holidays off, because most people take their turns every year. Just because i don't have children doesn not mean that i don't have a life or that i don't have things to do.
I don't have kids and I don't celebrate Christmas, so every year my co-workers assumed I would be working the holidays. I used to help out, but rarely would anyone reciprocate when I needed a day off. So I started to take my holidays just like everyone else. It gave me an opportunity to be with friends who were off that day.
I think it's rude to impose on co-workers like this thread describes. You made the choice to be a nurse, you made the choice to have kids. You need to work it out. But no one owes you a holiday just because you have kids.
Even our nastiest co-workers have at least one person out there who loves them, cares about them. Those family members/friends are just as precious as another's kids.
I don't have kids and I don't celebrate Christmas, so every year my co-workers assumed I would be working the holidays. I used to help out, but rarely would anyone reciprocate when I needed a day off. So I started to take my holidays just like everyone else. It gave me an opportunity to be with friends who were off that day.
I think it's rude to impose on co-workers like this thread describes. You made the choice to be a nurse, you made the choice to have kids. You need to work it out. But no one owes you a holiday just because you have kids.
Even our nastiest co-workers have at least one person out there who loves them, cares about them. Those family members/friends are just as precious as another's kids.
Specializes in ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.
:rotfl: OK, now that is too much! Most people only walk elementary children in on the first day of school, and I've never heard of a night time elementary!
Now, if it was 3-11 AM, didn't that person know months in advance that school would start on a certain day? Schools usually plan the calendar the year before!
oops 3-11pm! Yeah I know I'm like what?! You can see them off. Well it's nice when they come home from school but my point you've been 3-11pm while there at school before. Well this is the same one who asked me if columbus day is considered a holiday at our hospital!
Well, I want to give huge thank yous to the all the people at my work who made sure I had ALL the holidays off the year after my husband died in September, so I could be home with my three small ones. :kiss Even when I commented about taking my share, I was told my little ones needed me. :1luvu: Thanks guys!!
Our work rotates holidays pretty much like the other posters have described. I've done my share of holidays ever since (and before for that matter). I would never use that excuse to try to guilt trip someone into working for me, and I have traded when someone needed it. I've done lots more Friday Thanksgiving dinners than Saturday, which works out well because more people can come over. Cousins and inlaws get MIL on Thursday, I get her on Friday, and she gets to see everyone.
My SIL gets stuck working at her hospital almost all the holidays, being management and single, not withstanding she is my kids' godmother and the only one who can drive Grandma here from out of town to share the holiday with us. She always gets stuck working 3-11 on the Eve and Christmas Day, so she is short of sleep and time when she comes to celebrate with us.
The Christmas mornings I missed with mine before, dad explained to them that sick people really needed someone to take care of them, because their moms couldn't. They learned to share "Mom" at an early age.
I've asked lots of singles to come to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, because we like crowds and I always cook way too much, but I'm rarely taken up on it because they are either working or have plans to travel etc. Shame on people who flip guilt trips around!
I posted a sign up sheet in September to try and work out 8hr shifts for the holidays (we work 12's). It was informal and the idea was to see if the staff could work it out amoungst ourselves. Well, people started writing snide comments all over it- mainly about night shift people signing up to work days, etc...as it stands we will be doing 12's. I am off for Christmas. Another girl is off for Thanksgiving. So, we decided to do 6 hr shifts for both days. That way, each of us can have family time and both shifts will be covered.
oops 3-11pm! Yeah I know I'm like what?! You can see them off. Well it's nice when they come home from school but my point you've been 3-11pm while there at school before. Well this is the same one who asked me if columbus day is considered a holiday at our hospital!
Did you say "Yes! ...and all the patients get well the day before, and everyone of them get sick again on the day after! ...It's an amazing thing!" :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
JBudd, first of all, I am so sorry to hear about your husband. I am glad your coworkers were kind enough to do that for you! :)
We too have asked plenty of our single friends to holdays at our house, and other events. I learned that gesture early on from my mother. Most of the time, they have their own life to be envolved in, and would rather not take the offer.
I posted a sign up sheet in September to try and work out 8hr shifts for the holidays (we work 12's). It was informal and the idea was to see if the staff could work it out amoungst ourselves. Well, people started writing snide comments all over it- mainly about night shift people signing up to work days, etc...as it stands we will be doing 12's. I am off for Christmas. Another girl is off for Thanksgiving. So, we decided to do 6 hr shifts for both days. That way, each of us can have family time and both shifts will be covered.
Writing snide comments on a sign-up sheet, very immature, very unnecessary.
I am not a nurse yet and heck maybe I may sound like a jerk about this. But I am not working Christmas day or Thanksgiving day. Period. I don't mind working any other holiday or taking other wacky shifts. But those two days each year I would want to spend with my family and I refuse to work them. Christmas Eve, the day after Thanksgiving or the day before, Easter, my birthday or anything else I don't care. I don't think having kids or not having kids should affect who gets days off. I just refuse to work those two specific days. I realize as I write this that I must sound like such a brat.
I am not a nurse yet and heck maybe I may sound like a jerk about this. But I am not working Christmas day or Thanksgiving day. Period. I don't mind working any other holiday or taking other wacky shifts. But those two days each year I would want to spend with my family and I refuse to work them. Christmas Eve, the day after Thanksgiving or the day before, Easter, my birthday or anything else I don't care. I don't think having kids or not having kids should affect who gets days off. I just refuse to work those two specific days. I realize as I write this that I must sound like such a brat.
You're not the only one who wants to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas day with their family. Good luck getting both Thanksgiving and Christmas day off as a nurse. If this is something you are unwilling to compromise on, I also wish you luck in getting co-workers to agree to accommodate you.
I am not a nurse yet and heck maybe I may sound like a jerk about this. But I am not working Christmas day or Thanksgiving day. Period. I don't mind working any other holiday or taking other wacky shifts. But those two days each year I would want to spend with my family and I refuse to work them. Christmas Eve, the day after Thanksgiving or the day before, Easter, my birthday or anything else I don't care. I don't think having kids or not having kids should affect who gets days off. I just refuse to work those two specific days. I realize as I write this that I must sound like such a brat.
Just be aware that will not be tolerated in many hospital jobs.
Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.
StikyNoteRighter, I think you are missing the point. If you go to work as a nurse in a hospital your expectation is completely unrealistic. You will be very lucky in some places just to get one or the other off. As has been mentioned many, many times nursing is 365 24/7. Patients do not conveniently all get better and go home on Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve. Most of your co-workers would equally desire these days off to be with their own families and friends as well.
So unless you walk out of Nursing School straight into upper managment (CNO) or you opt to work in a physicians office your expectaions are completely unrealistic.
Maybe I was hastey in the way that I said what I said. I am not a person who can't comprimise. I am willing to change shifts so that I work in the middle of the night if I have to. I know I sound selfish, its just that my father died young and in my childhood I lost many family members. My father had a job that took alot of hours out of him including holidays and stuff like that. I remember all those times we had to watch him go to work and he missed out on family holidays and other stuff like that. In the end he died and nothing we could do could get back those special times we missed. I am not saying that I deserve my holidays more then anyone else does. Trust me I don't think that way. I am just saying that I would be willing to do alot to get certain days off. I don't have to face the issue yet so I won't worry about it until then. I understand what you mean about how everyone deserves to get there hoildays off. When I get to these times I will find someway of solving the issue. I realize how selfish it sounds its just that through experience life is too short to lose out on those certain times with your family and friends.
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sjrn85
266 Posts
I don't have kids and I don't celebrate Christmas, so every year my co-workers assumed I would be working the holidays. I used to help out, but rarely would anyone reciprocate when I needed a day off. So I started to take my holidays just like everyone else. It gave me an opportunity to be with friends who were off that day.
I think it's rude to impose on co-workers like this thread describes. You made the choice to be a nurse, you made the choice to have kids. You need to work it out. But no one owes you a holiday just because you have kids.
Even our nastiest co-workers have at least one person out there who loves them, cares about them. Those family members/friends are just as precious as another's kids.