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Cope with Working the Holidays in Healthcare
Megan Malugani / Monster Contributing Writer
Find a Way to Worship
For Barnes, one of the difficulties of working on holidays is missing religious ceremonies that can’t be replicated before or after the holiday itself. Healthcare workers facing similar dilemmas may want to visit their hospital’s chapel or pastoral staff. “The pastoral department here makes us feel very welcome and adds to the joy of the holiday for those of us who have to work,” he says.
Accept Holidays as Part of the Schedule
For many healthcare professionals, working a holiday one year means they get the next year off. Barnes, however, will work on Christmas for the next six years straight. Working a schedule of seven nights on and seven nights off means he hasn’t had to work on Christmas for the past seven years, but this streak is now over.
Barnes has come to terms with the upcoming string of holidays in the hospital, because seven-on/seven-off is such a great overall schedule. “For me, it’s just part of the schedule, and I don’t have a problem with it at all,” he says.
