Nursing Holiday Schedules ... Are Yours Posted?

by: Norma Teran

In the 22 years I worked as a nursing director in one service line or another, I consistently felt anxious when posting the holiday work schedule. I remember my first year as a director in a small community emergency room; half the night shift staff conveniently volunteered to work Christmas Day and New Year’s Day and requested off Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, which were not considered holidays at the hospital. I knew when I received those requests that there would inevitably be staff not happy about their schedule. Starting that year, I worked many of these holidays alongside my team, and with each passing year, I got a better handle on this critical schedule. Eventually, I posted well-created schedules balancing patient safety and nursing needs; however, when I posted what was to be my last holiday season schedule, I let out a massive sigh of relief!

This year, when I saw both Halloween and Christmas decorations going up for sale almost simultaneously, I thought, “Here we go again with the stress of the holidays and our nursing schedule. How do they do it?” The question became poignant: How do nursing directors and nursing staff handle both working and scheduling for this particular time of the year? During an informal survey, first with the nursing directors and then with nursing staff at our health system, I found out most of our nursing staff starts requesting their holiday season schedule early in the year. Our team understands the dynamics of the seasonal requests and begins submitting their holiday preferences before the end of their summer vacations. When I asked directors and staff why they do this, most responded that it was to better prepare for the busyness of the holiday season. The seasonal requests at our health system range from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day and include Black Friday, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Nursing Directors

The most successful nursing directors set work expectations for nursing applicants; nurses quickly learn that a hospital job means working long hours, every other weekend and their share of holidays. All celebratory dinners with graduating nurses end with a reminder to enjoy their holiday season because hospital work will demand nurses to work those days they would prefer to spend with family.

The nursing directors commit to impartiality and equality in their everyday operations. To keep the schedule fair, nursing directors keep a running spreadsheet of all vacations and holiday requests through the years for each of their employees. It is a manual process that works well for them. There are no seniority rules during the holidays, and no vacation requests are granted from November through the end of January. Most directors will visit the floors during the observed holidays for a few hours and will stay if needed. Although stressful due to the cluster of the requests on top of the hectic holiday season, the nursing directors feel the schedule is mostly manageable since it is a day or two off for each employee. Most nursing directors report feeling more scheduling stress over spring and summer vacation requests. However, that is a topic for another day.

Nursing Staff

Frontline nursing staff shared the creative ways they join their family even while working holidays. They talked about their use of FaceTime and Skype during their breaks to connect with their families near and far. They spoke of being healthy and resilient and being glad to care for patients and families during a time when “being home” resonates with most people.

Nurses do a variety of things to handle working the holidays.

Celebrate
Nurses celebrate with their “work family” when working a holiday shift. The parties range from cookies with hot chocolate to elaborate meals involving deep-fried turkey or a “lechon" — a Philippine centerpiece dish with a whole roasted pork. Depending on diet restrictions, patients and families may partake in the feasts.

Flex

• Nurses remain flexible and celebrate with friends and family regardless of their schedules. They will have their Thanksgiving feasts early or late in the day depending on their shift. They will open their presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day before heading to work or open them and go to sleep in preparation for their night shift.
• Some of our nurses without young children prefer to work Christmas and not work New Year's Eve. They gladly trade days with those scheduled to work Christmas Eve and Christmas.
• A few nurses request to have Black Friday off instead of Thanksgiving for some early Christmas shopping at a bargain.

Care

• All nurses verbalize how much they value their patients and how the holidays bring a more significant opportunity to connect with them.
• I encountered a handful of staff members who stopped requesting specific holidays off and work as scheduled instead because of their passion for “doing the right thing.” They understand our patients need nursing care regardless of the calendar day.

Not much has changed in how nurses handle working during the holiday season. Nurses will adapt by coming late to festivities or being the first to leave a party; that is a scenario that plays out in many households. Johnny, my husband, and I are both nurses, and even now, 26 years into the profession, Johnny works his share of holidays as a frontline nurse. Our grown children now host holiday celebrations of their own and continue to understand that their parents may arrive late or leave early. Frontline nursing is consistently present and engaged in serving our patients, and nursing directors still roll up their sleeves and assist regardless of time of year.

The holiday season is fast approaching. Be mindful; do not get overwhelmed. Remember to approach one another with dignity, compassion, respect and everything our profession signifies. Happy holidays, everyone!

References
Deming, C. (2016). “10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Holiday Nursing Shift.” Lippincott Nursing Center. Retrieved from https://www.nursingcenter.com/ncblog/october-2016/10-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-holiday-nursing-shift.

Shattell, M., & Johnson, A. (2017). “Three Simple Mindfulness Practices to Manage Holiday Stress.” Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. 55(12), 2-4.

Walker, N. (2017). “Embrace Action: Use Holidays to Strengthen Social Bonds.” AORN Journal 106(6), 469-471.