This just infuriates me!

cmo421 · Sep 25, 2007

it's that time of the year fellow nurses...heading into early october...
which means (cue the horror music): holiday schedule time!!! :angryfire
that's right, my floor has already put up a list for us to write in our preferences between thanksgiving, christmas, and new years.
now, i'm realistic. i knew as soon as i started working in a hospital that i would be working holidays, and i don't have a problem with that. it does get stressful with the planning of early or late celebrations and my family being 6 hours away from me, but it's manageable.
however, i must say that i do have a problem with a co-worker of mine who has only worked in peds for 5 months. she worked on an adult neuro unit before in the same hospital and hired in the same time as i did, so she has seniority over the new nurses hired in this year (but not over our group that hired in when she did).
she has made it known to some of the nurses on the floor that she will be having her "ankle surgery" the week after thanksgiving, and will be off for 8 weeks. she also said as a direct quote "i'll probably be working thanksgiving then." excuse me, what?!?! more like you will be working thanksgiving. when asked about the timing of her surgery, she said "my parents are going to florida for the winter and i need them to drive me around." apparently, they are currently overseas now and will be home in that time gap. well isn't that convenient!!! the one holiday that 90% of our night shift staff wants off (christmas), you'll be recovering from your elective ankle surgery. let's not forget about new years as well! i seriously had to walk away from the girl before i flew off the handle on her. i'm just pissed about the whole situation. the following things are what i would love to say to her, but i'm too professional to do that in a work setting (maybe i should get her phone number:lol2: )
1)i don't see how there isn't a hospital policy on having elective surgeries between november and january! i guess i'll make a note to have a boob job done next december!
2)i'm sure your ass will be driving 2 weeks after your minor elective surgery, why don't you just admit that you planned it on purpose to get christmas and new years off?
3)very few nurses on this floor like you... your laziness and incompetence have repeatedly been reported to our nurse manager who doesn't have the backbone to fire you. i think it's safe to say that your co-workers are not going to welcome you back with open arms when you return from your mini-vacation.
4) this sort of follows #3. there aren't many nurses who jump for joy at the thought of working holidays. sure, we do it and we tolerate it...but that doesn't mean we like it. the holidays are a time that we want to spend with our families too! show some respect towards your co-workers and go through the process like all of us have to do!
ok, so i'm done now...i feel better, lol. i apologize for the swearing, i'm just so angry:angryfire i wouldn't have an issue if she hadn't been working due to her ankle (she's been working full-time), or if she was having nonelective surgery, or having a baby. all of those situations are completely understandable...her situation isn't.

nurses doing this is not uncommon. many plan pregnancy and such around the holidays or summer. we use to call them "dr summeroff". we had one nurse that had not worked a summer in 4 years. it happens. but then again , i can see that after many years, it might not be bad to plan an elective surgery around a time that is good for you. as with everything else, people abuse things, and it is up to management to set limits on such things. but i am totally against facilities preventing vacations/surgeries at prime time, it is a big part of senority to get prime vacation time after putting in so many years.

General E. Speaking, RN, RN · Sep 25, 2007

Wow, sorry for your frustration. We also have our holiday schedule posted. We are doing something new this year. I am thrilled that they have actually mentioned in writing that seniority counts. We number from one to six in priority order which ones we want off. Six days includes the actual holiday (Xmas, TDay, NY) and the eves. There has been a memo out for a while that says no taking personal time off between mid November-January. I would think this would include elective surgeries, but I guess this would have to be looked at on a case by case basis.

nursemary9, BSN, RN · Sep 25, 2007

Wish I worked with you guys.

I'm here 37 yrs & senority DOES NOT count for anything!!

Not for vacations or holidays or ANYTHING!!

When I was a new nurse, it was always senority; then suddenly when I have senority, they decide it doesn't mean a thing!!!

We have every other holiday off; can not take vac. from Dec 10th thru end of Jan and no elective surgery during the holidays.

StressedOutNurse85 · Sep 25, 2007

We have a policy on not being able to take vacation leave between mid November and the first week of January, but not on elective surgeries. I bet they would make one if we all decided to have plastic surgery in December :lol2:

woody62, RN · Sep 25, 2007

I knew there was a reason why I loved doing staff relief and case management. I could take four weeks off at Christmas and New Years. Not many employees get hurt during the four weeks around those two holidays. And no one had any right to tell me when I had to do staff relief. I think that nurses who have put in their time, with an employer, deserve first choice for these holidays. And when I worked full time in a hospital, that was the standard.

Woody:balloons:

EmilyUSFRN, RN · Sep 25, 2007

The way my manager does it is that when you are hired you are put on a list, either A or B that coincides with the weekend you work, etc. Then it states at the bottom "For 2007 and 2009 Team A works CD, NE, 4th and Labor and Team B works CE, ND, Memorial and some other holiday I forget and so it switches back and forth, and so the next year you aren't working the same holiday rotation.

This is also our hurricane schedule for if and when a storm hits our area. Seniority applies when census is low and people can be called off.

I think its a pretty good system and about as fair as it can possibly be for the most part.

cmo421 · Sep 25, 2007

The way my manager does it is that when you are hired you are put on a list, either A or B that coincides with the weekend you work, etc. Then it states at the bottom "For 2007 and 2009 Team A works CD, NE, 4th and Labor and Team B works CE, ND, Memorial and some other holiday I forget and so it switches back and forth, and so the next year you aren't working the same holiday rotation.
This is also our hurricane schedule for if and when a storm hits our area. Seniority applies when census is low and people can be called off.
I think its a pretty good system and about as fair as it can possibly be for the most part.

I agree with this. Also lets you know well in advance so if u want, switches can be made. We switch all the time and it makes everyone happy! If you have vacation time and it is your holiday on, you have to find coverage yourself.

marbrit · Sep 25, 2007

Hi and just to let you know even in the places where there is seniority and stuff it's expected that non-moms work the holidays because they don't have little ones!

I have personally had the experience after a unit meeting of a nurse with 3 kids say;'

"Well, Marianne will work the holidays!" I can laugh about it now (actually several years later) and at the time I thought "Gee, don't we have families too?" The elective surgery choice is a new twist--Hello from Florida

BookwormRN · Sep 25, 2007

In my facility, there are two different "teams"; when you are hired, you are put into one of the two holiday rotations. One year you work New Years Day, Memorial Day, Labor day and Christmas.

The next year, you work Good Friday, 4th of July, and Thanksgiving. It is a good system-it is fair across the board.

nicunana · Sep 25, 2007

What kind of ankle surgery is elective? Unless it's a tattoo removal, it sounds like it's something that is necessary. I can't think of any cosmetic surgeries involving the ankle. My husband has recently had 3 ankle surgeries and has not been able to bear weight since June, so I can certainly understand her need to have someone available to assist her with driving and other activities. Maybe you are just so frustrated with the whole holiday schedule mess that you are failing to see her side of the situation?

StressedOutNurse85 · Sep 25, 2007

What kind of ankle surgery is elective? Unless it's a tattoo removal, it sounds like it's something that is necessary. I can't think of any cosmetic surgeries involving the ankle. My husband has recently had 3 ankle surgeries and has not been able to bear weight since June, so I can certainly understand her need to have someone available to assist her with driving and other activities. Maybe you are just so frustrated with the whole holiday schedule mess that you are failing to see her side of the situation?

She said that it was for some sort of bone chip (I don't know all of the details). I understand that it's a surgery that probably has to be done, but the fact that she's been working the last 5 months with no problem and is now all of a sudden having it done the week after Thanksgiving? C'mon now, I'd say that's more than a coincidence. This also wasn't something that was scheduled a long time in advance either, because she had mentioned recently talking to our manager about it. Technically it probably would be 'non-elective', but it's just the principle of her working full time with no problems that gets me.