Working a shift during a special holiday is often a fact of life for nurses. People need care every day of the year, and nurses are there to provide it, even if the rest of the country is taking a holiday.
As hard as it is to work on a holiday, it’s also something nurses adapt to, says Evelyn Kieltyka, FNP, MS, MSN, and president of the Maine Nurse Practitioner Association. “Nurses are very resilient when it comes to finding ways to celebrate the holidays on a day other than the holiday itself,” she says.
Nurses find they can still celebrate, but that the plans might have to be more flexible. “If [the nurse] has a family, the family may spend the day with family or friends,” she says. “The nurse and his or her family will then find a special time to have family time.”
Many families plan bigger gatherings near the holiday, but not actually on the holiday. For instance, your extended family could plan to gather the weekend before or after a holiday so you can attend. “I recall one nurse who always worked the night shift,” says Kieltyka. “The family would always celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Then the nurse would go off to work the night shift.”
And as nurses gain seniority, they might have more flexibility when it comes to working a holiday shift if they really don’t want to. “There is, in general, a tradition (and maybe policy) to give preference to seniority,” says Kieltyka. “But it’s also the culture of fairness, in other words, the staff will look at the holiday season as a group and attempt to give nurses a preference.”
Depending on the holiday and a nurse’s personal traditions, dividing up the holidays can be easier for nurses, but it won’t suit your preferences all the time. It helps if you decide what holidays are especially meaningful to you, with the understanding that you’ll probably still work that holiday many times.
“For instance, Thanksgiving may be an important holiday for one nurse but less important for another so staff take into consideration how important one holiday or another is to each individual,” says Kieltyka.
Younger nurses know that the nurses who have come before them have also walked the same path of trying to figure out how to be away from family and friends during the holidays without losing any of the holiday spirit. Sometimes, you will miss an important celebration because of work. But nurses know that going into the profession. And you also know you are not alone. You are part of an essential swath of nurses working on the same holiday and you share a bond of selflessness and determination that makes the profession so respected.
You’ll be working with a team who is in the same situation and caring for patients who can really use your holiday cheer. Being able to provide that is often so uplifting that it makes your holiday memorable even if you are not with your own family and friends.
The holiday season brings lots of chances to get together with coworkers in both casual and more business-geared settings. The holiday work party is sometimes a confusing mix of both, and it’s worth giving some thought to the best way to approach it.
Holiday parties can seem like a time when you can let go a little and have fun with your coworkers, especially if some are friends you see outside of work hours. But your coworkers aren’t the only people celebrating at the holiday party – your supervisors (and often managers above them) are frequently there as well.
So while you should relax, mingle, and have fun there are a couple of things to keep in check.
1. Don’t Overindulge
It has been said many times, but can be said again—the holiday party is not the time to have too many drinks. Not only can you say or do something embarrassing, but you are doing that in front of people who might consider you for a promotion. If you come unhinged at the holiday party, they might remember that and question your overall judgment.
2. Show Your Best Self
Just as you don’t want to be remembered for the spectacle you made after having a few too many, you also don’t want to shock people with inappropriate comments, political opinions, or gossipy stories. If your coworkers turn to you for the latest dirty joke when you all go out to dinner, keep it there and not at the holiday party.
3. Do Mingle
Make sure you do catch up with people, but it doesn’t have to be all about work. Now isn’t the time to hit someone up for a job offer or to regal them with facts and figures from your latest reports. Don’t spend the night talking shop, but do spend the night making a genuine effort. If you know a colleague helped a patient figure out how to cope with a demanding medication schedule successfully, by all means pass a compliment on to them. And don’t neglect to greet your boss.
4. Don’t Skip the Party
Even if you really dread holiday parties, you don’t get a free pass to skip. Part of building relationships and being a team player means having to attend at least for a while. Don’t make it obvious that you want to leave (for instance, make sure you at least take your coat off!), but stay just long enough to chat with a few people, eat some of the food, and have people know you were there. Then you can make a graceful exit.
5. Plan Ahead
If office parties are especially tough for you, spend an hour the night before planning who you would be comfortable chatting with (but you can’t just pair up with your favorite buddy). Also memorize a few questions to break the ice and keep conversations from stalling. People love to talk about themselves, so you can ask what they have planned for the holidays or what they like to do in January. Keep the topics neutral and broad.
Office parties can be a trial, but they can also present great opportunities for you to reinforce your professionalism and get to know the people in your work setting. Take advantage of the opportunity and enjoy this unique part of the holiday season.
When you’re in nursing school, your clinicals give you the essential hands-on nursing skills that form the basis of the start of your nursing career. But while you’re learning how to do the million and one tasks nurses do, take this great opportunity to sharpen other career skills.
While it might seem like the day is filled with so much information that you can’t remember one more thing, a nursing student is in a great position to pay attention to how everything, and everyone, else contributes to a smoothly running unit.
What kinds of things are worth noting?
Interpersonal Interactions
Watch how colleagues work with each other, and notice any differences within the hierarchy of the staff. See what works when nurses have conflicts. Do they work it out with help? Do they get others involved and make it uncomfortable? In your working life, you are guaranteed to have a few differences of opinion and learning to resolve them effectively is worth your time.
Professional Habits
It won’t take long to notice who has professional behavior and work habits that are worth adopting. Watch for the people who always arrive on time and are ready to get to work. Do others react to them differently? Are they in higher positions? What are their habits throughout the day? Modeling your behavior after nurses who display professionalism will help get your career off to a good start.
Education Goals
Are some of the nurses on staff also going back to school to get advanced degrees? If they are and you know that is something you might do in the future, ask one of them for an informational interview. This is a great opportunity to ask about how they got into the school, what suggestions they have for you, how they figured out financial aid, and how they balance their work lives, home lives, and school.
Techniques with Patients
Some nurses just seem to have a soothing power. Others are able to deal with especially difficult patients. Still others have a knack for motivating patients who are in pain or who feel too sick to do much of anything. How do they do what they do so well? Watch their movements and listen to how they talk to patients. Take note of how they develop a rapport or possibly distract patients so they are comfortable. Always work to improve your own nursing techniques.
Efficient Methods
Having success as a nurse depends on more than just proper medical training. It’s also about the overall habits you develop along the way. Notice how nurses’ daily work habits make them more efficient, help the entire unit, or make families or colleagues feel comfortable.
Your clinical experience is a time when you can see (and copy) the good judgment nurses use and the mannerisms and habits they develop to make their work better, faster, or more efficient.
If you have a nurse on your holiday list this year, you have lots of choices for great gifts that are both meaningful and useful.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Relaxing Shower and Bath Stuff
Nurses work so hard that buying pampering gifts are almost a sure bet.
Aching muscles come with the job so nurses can appreciate things that help those tight muscles relax and recoup from a long day. Shower gels and lotions are always a great choice, but don’t stop at the basics. Shower scent tablets, a small ball or tablet that releases scent into the shower, is great for nurses who don’t want to or can’t wear scents. They can still enjoy the relaxing fragrance of lavender or rejuvenating scents like grapefruit and tangerine without having it linger all day.
If your nurse is a bath time devotee, bath bombs, those big, fizzy, fragrant additions to the tub are a luxurious gift that’s fun, too. Bath bombs come in a range of scents and with additions like oil or even petals, bath time can become a real event.
Personal Comforts
With those sore muscles also comes the need for heat and cold sometimes. Herbal heat packs that can be heated in the microwave and placed right on sore shoulders or lower backs will get lots of use. You can also get a few ice packs to help your nurse alternate. And don’t forget super-squishy slippers or socks so soft they feel like walking on clouds.
Nurse-Themed Everything
Nurses can show pride in their profession with a whole host of nurse swag. There are great items to add bling to stethoscopes, phones, and even cars. You can choose special jewelry like charms with medical symbols or RN that can make a bangle or a necklace special.
Lots of fun clothes are available like t-shirts or socks that pay homage to the nurse’s job and also just add fun or whimsy to an outfit.
Gifts of Time
Making dinner or giving homemade dinners that can be frozen and taken out (soup, chili, lasagna) can be a lifesaver for nurses who have a lot going on and could use some relief. If the person you are getting a gift for is taking care of family, is working more than one job, is a single parent, or is also a student, giving the gift of homemade food (which both saves them time and shows them extra caring) is most welcome.
You can also buy the gift of an experience. Depending on your budget, tickets to a play or a concert, ski lift passes, or a museum membership are all good choices.
Don’t Forget Grab-n-Go
What nurse can’t use a good mug to hold hot (or iced!) drinks. They come in all sizes and styles. Some even have nursing logos or saying written on them. Choose the right type, color, size, and purpose for your favorite nurse. And don’t forget roomy and sturdy tote bags or insulated lunch packs for toting lunches, dinners, and snacks for long shifts. A large bag to bring all the necessities around – books for class, a change of clothes, workout gear – is also a good option. Look for something comfortable and with straps that won’t dig into shoulders if the load gets heavy.
Choosing gifts for nurses can be fun if you just think of what they would like and what can make their lives just the smallest bit easier.
The holiday season is upon us and with it comes once-a-year fun, lot of extra work, and an atmosphere unlike what we have at any other time of year.
Whether you love it or not, the month of December is one that’s pretty busy. If you are like many other people, you might find yourself saying something along the lines of, “This year I will be more organized . . . get more done . . . not burn the cookies because I am also trying to study for class at the same time. . . not get overwhelmed.”
Do take steps to make this year different if the the holidays are at all stressful for you. But don’t do that by putting more pressure on yourself. Of all times when you need a little extra TLC, this tops the list. Make it easier for yourself this year by lowering your expectations a little and going for ease, not overdrive.
Try out these holiday hacks and let us know if you have any others that work well for you.
1. Make a Dinner Plan
It sounds tedious, but planning menus at least a week in advance can make a huge difference in time, effort, and stress about getting food on the table. And, no, the list does not have to be all homemade. Just plan to have ingredients on hand and dinner can be ready quickly.
You’ll find looking at your to-do list for the day and knowing what’s planned for dinner is a huge relief.
A “not-fancy-but-good-enough-for-now” sample menu can read like this:
Sunday – quiche and salad
Monday – frozen meatballs in sauce and spaghetti, garlic bread, carrot sticks
Tuesday – tacos
Wednesday – meatloaf dinners from the supermarket or take-out pizza
Thursday – pancakes and eggs, fruit
Friday – leftovers
Saturday – baked chicken or fish, noodles, salad
2. Have Hostess Gifts
Do you see a great buy on a nice gift? Buy a couple so you have something on hand to give as a hostess gift or a Yankee swap or to a neighbor who unexpectedly comes by. If you don’t use it for a gift, you might be able to use it for yourself after the holidays.
Look for good deals on
candles
chocolates, syrups, jams
soft mittens or scarves
cozy blankets
a holiday DVD
a beautiful pen and journal
something particularly local (apple wine from New England, New Mexican chilies)
3. Sleep Hacks That Work
Take naps. Lie down when you can. Don’t stay up late for no reason. A tired, stressed-out party-goer isn’t going to have any fun at all. And an overly sleepy nurse isn’t going to give the best patient care. Make sleep as essential as eating this holiday season. Your next month will be much better overall if you don’t neglect this important stress buster.
Just do it.
4. Gift Buying Simplified
Pick a gift theme and plan your gifts around that as much as possible. Gift themes can include general activities, goods, or outings that would appeal to many people, even if it is in different arrangements. Having a theme keeps your budget under control, prevents lots of impulse buying, and cuts down on shopping time.
Depending on your budget your gift theme for the year could include
Movies (tickets or a favorite DVD set with a bucket of candy and microwave popcorn)
Dinner out (a gift card with a bottle of wine)
Home comforts (fleece blankets, foot warmers, heating pads)
Personal luxuries (luxurious soaps, lotions, hair care, fancy mascara, pedicure set or gift card)
Sports (choose from any sports equipment or tickets to events)
Time together (a gift card for a place to get a quick bite and a time to catch up)
Monthly gift delivery (makeup, health foods, spices, cookies, flowers)
Simplifying for the holidays is sometimes easier said than done, but it’s not impossible. With a few specific changes, you’ll find the season easier and more enjoyable.
