Holiday Schedules & Vacations

In most cases, everyone would enjoy the holidays off. However, in a hospital or nursing home that is not possible, for patient care does not stop for the holidays. So how is it decided who works holidays?

Holiday Schedules

Some nurses will volunteer to cover Holidays in order to get extra pay. When there are no volunteers, there has to be a fair schedule made so that every worker is treated fairly. Different medical facilities handle holiday scheduling in different ways.

-       Some facilities ask for volunteers that want to work the holiday.  Depending on the number of volunteers, the final selection of employees will be added accordingly.

-       Seniority may dictate holiday Schedules in some cases, however, this is becoming less popular. 

-       The most popular means of scheduling for holidays is to do a routine schedule. This entails everyone taking turns covering holidays. This way no one is exempt from working a holiday, but no one employee will work every holiday.

When you take a position working as a nurse in a hospital setting, you assume that holiday work will be expected, as hospitals never close.There are some advantages to working Holidays, so it's not all bad working when others have the day off. 

-       Elective surgeries don't generally happen on holidays, so this makes the floor less crowded and less busy. It allows for a chance to catch up on things that you may not have time to do on a busy day. 

-       Sometimes facilities or others may provide special tests or a meal, for staff on holidays. One hospital caters an entire holiday meal in for employees that work Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. 

Related: Healthy Cafeteria Alternatives to Consider

Vacations

Everyone needs vacation time, but not everyone takes it. Some employers are now requiring employees to use at least 80% of their vacation time, which has surprisingly been met with some resistance. It's great to be a dedicated employee, and to be concerned about your work during your absence is certainly a dedicated employee; however it's not a good thing. It is actually important to take your due time off. Not only do you need a break, it gives your supervisor a chance to see how valuable your efforts are, and how missed you are when not present. When on vacation, avoid thinking about work; seriously, let it go for the time you are vacationing. Avoid calling work to ask how things are going. There may be a case that you want to check on a particular patient, however calling in on a regular basis does not indicate devotion, and rather it may appear as though you are not secure in your position. 

Some countries have laws that mandate vacation schedules, which can be as long as 3 months out of a 12 month period. Companies such as Google offer vacations bi-monthly, where an employee works 8 weeks and gets 3-5 days off.  This has proven to be great for keeping employees, so a large children's hospital has followed that trend and is starting to offer nursing staff similar incentives.  The trial of vacation times will last for 3 years and be evaluated. Currently it is in the second year and is going well; nursing staff longevity is up 33%. The nursing staff had the opportunity to volunteer for the frequent vacation program, which was work 3 months at a minimum of 36 hours per week, and then earn 1 week off work. The concept of management is, even though there is more paid vacation time given, there is considerably less training involved with new staff, as the turnover is less, and there is less new hires. 

Relative: Unusual Allergies

Vacations and holiday time should be covered and considered prior to accepting any position. If you plan to work in a hospital, you can expect to work holidays, however vacation times can vary widely. Employee benefits such as vacation time are actually a big part of your employment and should be figured into salary. 

Salary     Incentives (insurance, vacations, etc.)   Total Salary

40k          5k                                                   45k

50k          2k                                                   52k

39k        11k                                                   51k

Salaries should be considered with incentives/benefits included, and sometimes the benefits are valuable enough that a lower salary may be worth accepting.  Just be sure to cover all information prior to starting a position so that there are no misunderstandings or expectations that can't be met. 

Related: International Nurses Association - What's Your Superpower? T-shirt

       

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