Surviving the Holidays in the Hospital

Let me guess, you provide patient care in a facility that runs 24/7, all day, every day, even major holidays?  Hospitals, nursing facilities, EMS providers, police, and fire, all essential services that can't shut down for a holiday or chaos will ensue.   This means you have to work holidays.  It's a given when we signed up for this career.  Too bad we can't shut the doors like some in the service industry do on the major holidays. Perhaps we can alternate with a partner facilities, kinda like coffee shops do?  This location closed for Thanksgiving, please use this alternate location for care.  Nope, this would never work, never ever never.  It would be nice, lets get that right.  We would be able to spend the holidays with our families and loved ones, which is the point of the holidays.  Family!

Now that we’ve succumbed to the notion that we are stuck being away from our families on these holidays, we have to put on our big boy (or girl) panties and make the best of it.  In facilities I’ve worked in, you either work the actual holiday, or the hard to staff day.  The hard to staff day can be Black Friday, or Christmas Eve. It’s the hospital’s way of sticking it to ya, but there are people that need care. If your experience is different than the mentioned “staffing policies”, comment below and let us know the differences you’ve encountered.

Now that we’ve accepted the fact that we are working the holiday (or hard to staff day), lets see how to deal with it in the best manner. I know you aren’t home with your spouse or significant other, and the kids are gonna miss you terribly, but remember that you’re with your medical family. You absolutely spend quite a bit of time with your extended medical family.  Embrace this thought and celebrate with them.  Organize a potluck dinner, or lunch.  Perhaps an entire day buffet.  They are the reason you make it through every shift.  So put your hard feelings aside and make it a good day.

Post a favorite holiday tradition below you share with your work family or a recipe.  Happy Holidays and hope everyone has a great shift!