Working through the holidays?

[Energizer Bunny]

I have worked Christmases at other jobs (just a student here myself) and worked it out by offering to work the night shift or 3-11. I also have celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve instead of on the actual day. Children don't understand the importance of the actual day...you could have YOUR Christmas (or whatever holiday) any day. And there have always been people that were willing to work it out with me. One lady wanted to have the afternoon off for her large family gathering and I wanted the morning off for the kids to get their presents so we just switcherood.

[happynewLPN]

I work in the Labor and Delivery unit of a local hospital, and we are required to work a certain number of holidays each year. I think it's rotational, but it's either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Last year, I worked both. Couldn't pass up that holiday pay!

Lisa :)

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

As a per diem staff member with no children at home and a single woman, I purposely schedule myself for holidays. Turns out there are quite a few like me who want to capitalize on the OT. On my floor, as it turns out, a lot of us had the same idea and there are twice as many on the schedule than are needed.

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

I feel strongly that having children should have no bearing on whether or not a person is offered the holiday off or not.

Word to that, ThirdShiftGuy. For the first few years I got snookered into the "but I'm a MOM!" plea and I worked almost every Christmas. But every year it was a different face doing the pleading. And my husband and I are a family, too. I found it fascinating that these same people always refused to cover Easter for me.

My plea to all is to not use your kids to try and get special favors. Nursing is 24/7. Single people and childless marrieds have lives as well. If you know going in that nursing will require holiday work, it shouldn't be a big surprise.

If holidays continue to be a flash point for you, there are nursing careers that do not include working on holidays. I have one. Pay can be less and you might need some experience. But they are out there.

[IamRN]

Word to that, ThirdShiftGuy. For the first few years I got snookered into the "but I'm a MOM!" plea and I worked almost every Christmas. But every year it was a different face doing the pleading. And my husband and I are a family, too. I found it fascinating that these same people always refused to cover Easter for me.

Wow! I never heard of that happening. Although, I am realizing that it can and does happen

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

We put down our 3 choices in order of importance and then the scheduler fills it in...she puts out how many are working and then asks for volunteers to help fill the gaps, she also deals for the day after the holiday off since that is a huge requested day in our unit. Sometimes by volunteering you only have to work 4 hours on the major holiday..better than working 8 or 12. Some people will volunteer to work all the holidays and only work 4 hours. It works for us.

If she can't get coverage then it goes by seniority. Almost every year, every person except for sometimes a couple, get exactly what they want.

I hate that, well I have a family..hello...everyone has a family and do you think our families enjoy us being at work..no, but it is the job you chose to do. I really can't stand to hear newer people gripe because they have to work a holiday..live with it or go work in an office. Even the PRN's have to work holidays.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

We put down our 3 choices in order of importance and then the scheduler fills it in...she puts out how many are working and then asks for volunteers to help fill the gaps, she also deals for the day after the holiday off since that is a huge requested day in our unit. Sometimes by volunteering you only have to work 4 hours on the major holiday..better than working 8 or 12. Some people will volunteer to work all the holidays and only work 4 hours. It works for us.

If she can't get coverage then it goes by seniority. Almost every year, every person except for sometimes a couple, get exactly what they want.

I hate that, well I have a family..hello...everyone has a family and do you think our families enjoy us being at work..no, but it is the job you chose to do. I really can't stand to hear newer people gripe because they have to work a holiday..live with it or go work in an office. Even the PRN's have to work holidays.

We do pretty much the same thing. For the summer (Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day) and winter (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) holidays we fill out a form with the top three shifts we want to work and then our last two choices, which we really really want off. It needs to total 20 hours each for summer/winter, and you can't just request all the "eves" but also some hours on the actual holidays as well. Then the assistant manager writes it all down, and if there are days when there are tons of people requesting on or off, she'll ask for volunteers or try to strike deals with people. Works VERY well, and we never "have" to work a holiday except for at least every third Christmas. It usually works really well, because people almost always get the days they want off.

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

PRNs required to work holidays would not fly where I work. The PRN pool would disappear. After all, freedom of scheduling is why people work PRN.

One hospital I used to work at gave the option - PRNs that wanted (or were willing) to work weekends and/or holidays got more money per hour than those that did not. That plan seemed to cause more problems than it solved, however.

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

I feel strongly that having children should have no bearing on whether or not a person is offered the holiday off or not.

Right on Tweety!

[IamRN]

The most I have been required to work in a PRN position is one holiday. Most times there was no requirement.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

If she can't get coverage then it goes by seniority. Almost every year, every person except for sometimes a couple, get exactly what they want.

I'm glad that generally works for you, but I don't feel seniority should come into it. If that were the case, I would probably be able to get every holiday off and that wouldn't be fair. But the preference thing works well here too. :)

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

If you work at a free-standing surgery center, as a friend of mine does, you do not work weekends or holidays. You can do pre-op/post-op nursing or be in OR. These places do not schedule surgeries except M-F.

There's your answer.

steph :)