working on Christmas?

[scrmblr]

I've been a nurse for almost 8 years. I have always volunteered to work EVERY holiday (newyears, 4th of July, Thanksgiving etc...) just to have Christmas off to be with my family. I am 6 months into a new ER job and they have scheduled me for Christmas Eve AND Christmas day:sniff: My poor kid's are really upset. My husband is also a nurse and is scheduled to work Christmas day this year too.

I had to tell my parent's that we were both working and ask if they would take the kids. My mom was pretty nasty and less then understanding. She said she didn't think it was "fair" to ask that I work Christmas when I have kids. I told her that people still get sick on Christmas and I wasn't the only employee with children.

Here is what I need from you all... Please help me explain to my (never had a job outside of the home) mother why I have to work Christmas. and second...Help me understand why I have to work Christmas:sniff:

[eltrip]

Bless your heart & good luck with your mother. Family can be a royal pain at times. When I worked the "floor," we all took our turn with holidays, kids or not. Some nurses with children split shifts so that each could spend part of the holiday with their children. Otherwise, we celebrated on other days or went without sleep between shifts.

My current position doesn't require this of me, for which I'm grateful. M-F, 8-4, what can I say?

[angel337, MSN, RN]

for people who work non-traditional jobs where the holidays are required, it is only natural that emotions are more sensitive this time of year. now that I am a new mother I do feel differently than I did before and next year I will seriously consider getting a job that does not require holidays because I grew up with my parents at home on holidays and I want my daughter (and future children) to experience the same thing. It is not fair for my coworkers to feel sorry for me because I have a child, that is my issue to deal with. I think you have a very positive outlook on the situation, but your parents need to understand that holidays is part of the package when you are a hospital nurse. good luck and God bless you and your family this holiday season.

[DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm not even sympathetic anymore. Someone else's reproductive choice is not my responsibility. No one is "owed" or "more deserving" of a holiday off just because he/she has kids.

I agree. I had a friend say to me, in so many words, that those who have children should not have to work Christmas, and that those of us who don't have kids should have to work. That is an ignorant statement, IMHO.:angryfire

[RN and Mommy]

Last Christmas I was scheduled to work for the first time. I was very upset about it feeling that I was going to miss out on a lot of quality family time. I have a small daughter, last year she was 2 1/2. My family was very gracious about my situation and agreed to celebrate "Christmas" on a different day. We had a great time and I didn't even think twice about it when it was December 25th. I realize that I have a small family and it was easier to accomodate my request, my daughter was young and didn't know the difference, and we are not very religious, so that aspect didn't come up, but we had a great time on our "Christmas". Now, I don't have to work Christmas again until 2007. At our facility, we all work 1 major holiday and 1 minor. Major included Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Years. We then rotate those holidays. Mine is New Years this year. I get off easy! Good Luck with everything!

[NicInNC, CNA]

I'm working Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day. Why? Because it's my responsibility. When I got my job, it was for every other weekend. Well, my weekend happens to fall on Christmas weekend. Yeah, it sucks, but that's life. I work 3pm-11pm.

I have a 6 year old and 7 year old. They will be with my husband while I work. Then my husband and kids get to spend the entire Christmas Day at my parents with all my relatives that will be coming in from out of town. At least I'll get to see them that morning and until the early afternoon.

[land64shark]

I'm not a nurse yet, but I was admitted to the hospital several years ago for Thanksgiving with kidney stones. That was the most depressing place I've ever been to in my life (so far). I didn't want to be there, but it was sooooo obvious that NONE of the staff wanted to be there either. Very grim indeed.

[neneRN, BSN, RN]

In the ER where I work, every single person employed by the dept has to work either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day; and it rotates every year, if you work Christmas Eve this year, then you know you'll be working Christmas Day next year.

But the good part is this; by making EVERYONE work one of these days, there are enough people that we only have to work 6 hour shifts instead of the full 12. And we do get to write down our preference for which 6 hour slot we'll be working-and there are always some, usually the night shift, who volunteer to go ahead and work the full twelve. So I worked Christmas Eve last year and this year I'll work Christmas Day from 1pm to 7pm, which is fine with me-I'm still home in the morning for the kids to open their presents, but get to skip the clean up and leave my kids with my mom for the rest of the day!

Every other holiday is just luck of the draw, a normal schedule is made out just like any other day.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I am curious, however...A question to those of you with either no children at home or family close by...Do you volunteer to work Christmas?

And exactly WHY would they have a lesser reason to be off?????? IT isn't children's day, or nuclear family day. The singles and those far from home may have planned to celebrate thir Lord's Birthday, in their own fashion.

(PS. I have offered to work Christmas this year...And I have for many years, swapped my senior allowance to others to be off...interestingly not one of them "paid back" when I needed off. I merely got the attitude that for every year following that I would automatically work that day for others and got the guilt trip if I didn't).

[sjrn85]

Precisely why I stopped doing it, too. Whenever I needed off for something it was, "Well, my kid has soccer/piano lessons/gymnastics/drama...yada, yada, yada." There was never any reciprocation; forget about even basic appreciation. It was almost like they felt entitled because I had no kids and didn't celebrate the holiday. So my attitude became, "Tough rocks if you have to work on Christmas. Goes with the territory of being a nurse in a hospital." (Not that I actually said that, but it was how I felt.)

[whipping girl in 07, RN]

I'm not a nurse yet, but I was admitted to the hospital several years ago for Thanksgiving with kidney stones. That was the most depressing place I've ever been to in my life (so far). I didn't want to be there, but it was sooooo obvious that NONE of the staff wanted to be there either. Very grim indeed.

Oh, my, that's terrible. Even though I've worked a lot of holidays, and I never want to be there away from my family, but I try not to let it show. Most patients never want to be in the hospital, no matter what time of year it is, least of all a holiday.

We try to keep it upbeat, bring food, decorate the unit, have fun in spite of the fact it's a holiday away from those I love.

At least I'll see them when I get home.

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

You knew when you went into nursing that it was a 24 hour operation, 365 days a year. No suprises there, you are new to your unit so naturally you get to work on Christmas. As far as you mother goes, you are on your own. I am not new to nursing buy am low man on the totum pole in my unit so I will also be working Xmas Eve & Xmas .

[wooh, BSN, RN]

There was never any reciprocation; forget about even basic appreciation.

That's why you get the reciprocation before you make the deal. It would be nice if everyone would work together, but the same people that have to have Christmas off "for the children" are the same people that won't be able to reciprocate because of "the children." You want me to work for you, tell me now what you'll do for me, because the goodness of my heart has been burned way to many times.