How to Stay Jolly As a Nurse During the Holidays

Being a nurse is an extremely demanding career with stress and trauma often coming at unexpected times. 

During the holiday season, this can make things harder than ever especially when having to work during holidays. Maybe you are feeling the direct impacts of a traumatic day at work or maybe weeks of stressful work without a relieving break are piling on. 

Either way, here are a few tips to help you get through the season without sacrificing your holiday spirit. 

Allow Yourself Personal Time

Whether you are excited about the opportunity to work on the holidays or feeling gloomy that you cannot spend the day with your family, try to make extra time when you can for your loved ones and yourself. Remind yourself of your personal and professional aspirations and of any personal goals that nursing has helped you achieve. 

Maybe your nursing job has finally allowed you to rent your first apartment on your own or maybe this was the year that you got that career-advancing promotion. These things help remind you of what you are working towards when things are not ideal. 

Ultimately, it will make your nursing work feel even more rewarding than it already is. 

Bring the Holiday Festivities to Work

If your workplace allows it, bring some holiday festivities and decorations into work to brighten up the spirit. You can decorate your unit or participate in a workplace gift exchange. Maybe you can even order a delivery meal for you or your coworkers. 

As a registered nurse, working 10-12-hour shifts can be very mentally and physically draining. These things make work feel a little less like work by allowing some personal freedoms during the holidays into your day-to-day operations.

Another great idea for staying cheerful during the holidays at work is treating yourself to a holiday gift. Whether the gift is nursing related or not, getting a gift is always a nice reminder that the holiday season is in full force. With this in mind, maybe you are feeling generous and want to purchase a gift for a nurse friend or coworker. 

The gift does not need to be anything extravagant as personal nursing gifts are a great way to show somebody that you care. 

Make Time for Self-Care

Working on the holidays as a nurse can be frustrating, especially if it means you are spending time away from your family. It can be easier to become burnt out and disconnected with your work as a nurse.

Ultimately, the work you are doing can only be done by somebody with the unique and personable skills that you possess. Sometimes this makes it easy to put others first when you really should focus on yourself.

Self-care is something that every nurse should make time for. There are points during every work week where you need to take a deep breath and relax. Furthermore, if self-care is neglected, stress-related health issues can arise. 

It is nearly impossible to provide the best care for your patients if you are not looking after yourself first. Remind yourself of your big picture aspirations both professionally and personally, so you can refocus your energy on what matters most. 

Allowing yourself to better understand the role of work and self-care in your life can greatly benefit your mental health. 

Nursing Career Guidance

Nursing is not an easy career in any shape or form. CynaMed understands this and prioritizes self-care when staffing healthcare and nursing professionals. CynaMed is a healthcare staffing agency with 18 years of experience in Western Pennsylvania. Reach out to them today for further nursing career guidance.