Young Nurse becoming Old

nurserynurse55 · Jan 1, 2008

That's wrong:angryfire. In our hospital holidays are grouped in pairs. Christmas/Christmas Eve (yes you would work both) or New Years Eve/Day (work both) for example. There is a list of who worked what each year that is referenced. You may request whatever you want (they do try to honor as much as possible), but you get what you get. There is no seniority with this matter. This way new people are not punished for being new every single year.

EmmaG, RN · Jan 1, 2008

There's something to be said about having perks for seniority. And it's not only the young who enjoy New Year's, your age really has nothing to do with this. I've worked places where senior nurses had first grabs at time off, but most work an alternating holiday schedule.

I'd be more ticked about getting a schedule 3 days before it starts. There's no excuse for that... had it come out in a reasonable time, you could have probably found someone willing to trade shifts. Have you considered looking into other options at your hospital? For example, flex time usually only requires one winter and one summer holiday. You'd have more control over your schedule. (Halloween doesn't count as a holiday, btw)

Jules A, MSN · Jan 1, 2008

I commend you on taking your job seriously and not going out and drinking when you know you have to work the next day. I'm very sorry it worked out this way and hope that you can make arrangements with your supervisor to get more holidays off if that is what you want.

Now that I'm old I could give a hoot about working holidays but when I was your age it would have been terrible. Hang in there.

April, RN, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2008

If they have you working every holiday, does that mean that there are nurses that have every holiday off? Any way you look at it, its really not fair for you to have to work every holiday. I'm sorry

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 1, 2008

While I agree that your schedule this year s***s big time, remember this. If you leave and go somewhere else, you will be starting out at the bottom of the seniority ladder all over again. If you stick it out, you will be higher on the seniority ladder next year ... and the next ... and the next ... etc.

Your schedules will improve over time -- unless, of course you get generous with the new people, and volunteer to work some holidays so that they can have some off.

sharona97, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2008

While I agree that your schedule this year s***s big time, remember this. If you leave and go somewhere else, you will be starting out at the bottom of the seniority ladder all over again. If you stick it out, you will be higher on the seniority ladder next year ... and the next ... and the next ... etc.
Your schedules will improve over time -- unless, of course you get generous with the new people, and volunteer to work some holidays so that they can have some off.

This is a great post! You earn your keep, not to be mean, cuz i totally iunderstand your concern. Turn it around and think of your patients having to be there on the eve of another New Year, maybe their last who knows........

IMO you have already showed maturity about working your shifts and thinking of your duties on New Years Day. Have a beer or cocktail and bring in the new year, and show up for work tomorrow knowing you have started to climb the infamous ladder and support the in house patients with your skill and attitude.

Happy New Year and may 2008 bring you many blessings!:balloons:

Sharona

truern · Jan 1, 2008

Last year I worked all those holidays plus Easter and Halloween. This year I was scheduled for every holiday EXCEPT NYE which doesn't mean a thing to me since we don't go out that night. I saw the kids open gifts for all of ten minutes before I headed out to work at 6 am Christmas morning

I feel for ya.

Welcome to the world of hospital nursing.

leslie :-D · Jan 1, 2008

i've been a nurse for almost 12 years.

this year, i worked thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

i'm another one who doesn't care about working nye, but i will be working tomorrow noc.

on top of getting tonight off, my schedule has been adjusted where i have to work on my scheduled noc off.

the only reason i got Christmases off in previous yrs, is because other nurses chipped in and worked my holidays, so i could be home with my kids.

being 21, i do understand your frustration.

i'm hoping you had a sense of what your worklife would be like, while in school.

i too, very much salute your accountability, and not going in hung over.

as time goes on, you will learn how the system works, what coworkers you can negotiate with, and how to jump through the hoops.

welcome to the glorious world of nursing.

and happy new year to you. :balloons:

leslie

lvlissl2ebecca · Jan 1, 2008

Thank you all for your posts. When I said "Young nurse becoming Old" I by no means meant to say that those who are older don't deserve holidays off or enjoy them as well. Please do not take it that way. I meant that my spirit about my job once fresh just becomes more diseased as this continues.

Emmanuel.. I understand that Halloween is not a PAID holiday, but it is a day that no one really wants to work. Which, of course I had to work.

To the poster that said "You have to earn your keep". I disagree on that one. I allready earn my keep from starting out at new LPN wages. I am equal to the next nurse I work with and refuse to believe different. Believing that I have to earn my keep for a single holiday off is ludicrous and would only put myself down. I worked at this facility for 2 years as a CNA before starting as an LPN. That SHOULD count for something anyways and even with that said.. I don't think anything justifies working even the newest employee every single winter/fall holiday (if i were here for spring/summer im sure I would be scheduled for those as well). While other nurses (regardless of how long they've been there) have every holiday off. Christmas, I didn't mind so much. My brother was killed last year on X-mas eve, so I was happy to have work to keep my mind off of it, but at the same time I know my mother could have used my company. Some people at work know about it, and say I should mention it.. but its not in my nature to bring those things up. It makes it way too personal IMO. I just grin and bear it.

I do know what some of the problem is though. When I went to my boss and said I wish to have NYE off, I asked her plain and simple why it was this way. (There is no official rule in our facility that makes your years of experience or years at that facility an advantage.. it just happens that way). She told me that she has had nurses come to her and threaten to quit if they didn't get the schedule they want. While, they may get what they want, they aren't treated as nicely by management when they do work only because its an ethics thing I suppose. I just can't do that. No matter what they do to me, nothing will make me want to threaten to quit a job I love other than this aspect, especially since my options are very limited. IDK I just needed to rant.

Emmanuel It does make me angry about getting our schedules only 3 days in advance, and believe it or not that was EARLY for our facility. It happens this way every month. We have all expressed our disgust at this, yet it never changes. Sometimes complaints fall on deaf ears.

On a last note for this post.. I love nursing very much. But, Life is too short to be so unhappy with a schedule. I will mention this to my supervisor, perhaps mention the need for a new holiday policy.. such as work one off the next...plain and simple. If you want to trade which ones you work/off w/ another coworker fine.. as long as its a mutual agreement. That seems far more fair than sticking one or two new ppl with all the holidays.

BTW I do not work at a hospital, I work in LTC.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2008

As a new nurse I was put on the same schedule as all of the other nurses.Every 3rd weekend and every 3rd holiday-that was 16 years ago.I have NEVER worked 2 holidays in a row unless it was my choice. I would be looking for other employment. That is just plain wrong!

sharona97, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2008

Hi I,

That was me who stated earning your keep. But after reading your post about that statement made me realize it was taken in a different context then intended. And you nailed it. You love nursing, you love your job,you'd like to help change the holiday schedule to a different policy or to make a policy that is fair. All of this is commendable.

My point was the longer you work with the hopefully same co-workers, fairness will step in. Meaning others will be willing to participate in equality. And like I said in a previous post, you have shown integrity and dedication to your workplace. With that said by earningyour keep I was saying you are true to your word as a dependable employee.

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and see I should have worded that sentence differently. I do hear what your saying and I do agree with you; however, policy changes can be difficult, instill bad feelings amongst c-workers even with the best intentions for fairness to all. Some will remain selfish or offended, but that does not mean your desire for a fair change is wrong.

Sharona