It’s a fact of life for those of us who work in healthcare. The hospital never closes therefore someone has to work 24/7/365. Someone has to be there to care for the critically Ill and the sick.

I’ve been an RT for 11 years and in those 11 years I’ve worked my share of holidays especially when I was on the bottom of the totem pole in the RT world. As a full time therapist I was required to work 2 winter holidays (which usually means choosing 2 of the three major holidays, Christmas, thanksgiving and new years day.) Christmas eve, and new years eve are not counted as holidays in our hospital even though the rest of the world considers them holidays.

This is my first year as a PRN employee due to nursing school and I am only required to work one winter holiday. I volunteered to work Christmas and Christmas Eve because I have no children and it’s not a holiday I really spend with my relatives because they are all not in town and travel during the holidays is a bear. Thanksgiving is the holiday I usually take off. We go to my in laws and go to a restaurant. They live near the beach so it’s always lovely. We have a real Florida Christmas. Palm trees, Key Lime pie, sunshine, etc.

I am off NYE and NYD this year. Not because I’m a party girl or anything, because I am really not. I usually try not to work new Years eve just because I like to stay off the roads. It really was born of years of my long commutes (60+ miles one way) and working the night shift. Now I’m a day shifter and have been for 3.5 years and I do sometimes work NYE. If I was a party girl and wanted to go out I still could. I never work new years day. I can’t remember a time that I did. I guess I just lucked out.

Traditionally, hospitals in Florida and the other popular snowbird states are busiest in winter. (They come and bring their COPD, renal insufficiency, chronic bronchitis and diabetes, among others), We are usually less busy around Christmas. I don’t know specifically why that is but I have some theories. 1. No one wants to be in the hospital at Christmas time so they don’t seek treatment. 2. The doctors try like hell to let as many people go home as possible before Christmas or on Christmas eve/day. 3. People are traveling and aren’t near their usual hospital. We will see a renewed surge of patients in the new year. The hospital is quieter on Christmas with less doctors coming around, no elective surgeries, no real management except the house supervisor and sometimes less family as well. Unless of course you work in a trauma hospital. Like
my classmate does. Motor vehicle
Crashes, gunshot wounds, house fires and general stupidity knows no season.