Top Tips For Working Over The Christmas Season

Adult Nurse, Zara, offers her advice and tips for working during the busy festive season, and explains why having a positive attitude is so important for both you and your patients.

Topics covered in this article

0.00 Introduction

Tip 1. (2.33) Have A Positive Attitude

Tip 2. (4.16) Make It Special For Your Patient

Tip 3. (5.55) Be Safe

0.00 Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome back.

Now we're in the month of December.

All get excited for because it means it is the festive season.

This video, I'll be sharing with you guys my top tips for working during Christmas season.

For healthcare professionals, this is probably one of our busiest times of the year.

And with the addition of COVID, thank you very much, and ongoing cases, this is arguably one of the busiest, craziest, chaotic winters yet.

However, positive vibes, positive vibes, positive vibes, only in this Nurse Zara bubble or square.

I want to say something really important before I even begin going into this video.

I am a Muslim girl and I follow Islam.

So whilst I don't celebrate Christmas for religious reasons, I recognise and I appreciate that this is a very important time for a lot of my colleagues.

Most definitely for a lot of my patients.

It is my duty as a Nurse, as a healthcare professional, as a human being, to show love and appreciation for other people's beliefs, cultures, celebrations, and so on.

It's how my non-Muslim friends appreciate how important Eid or Ramadan is to me.

And they in fact wish me Eid Mubarak, Ramadan Mubarak.

I would do the exact same.

I would wish someone Merry Christmas, Happy Vaisaki, Happy Diwali and so on.

I feel that's so important to say, and remember that when you're out there in practice.Now, I have worked on Christmas day before, and it certainly brings a different vibe.

I'll be sharing with you guys some useful tips on if you are working during the Christmas period.

Or perhaps you're not working during Christmas, but you know someone that is, and share this video with them and hopefully they'll be able to learn from it as well.

Christmas is always that kind of end of year celebration and the new year is not too far as well.

Winter is already such a busy time for the healthcare system, so the added pressure of COVID does not help.

Even more so our duty to put in that extra effort to make this time extra special for our patients and also for our colleagues.

Tip 1. (2.33) Have A Positive Attitude

My number one thing is having a positive attitude.

Strongly believe working on days like Christmas days, remind me of how special it is to be a Nurse.

See, as my patients are in hospital at the moment, I have the responsibility to care for these patients who are in fact away from their families on Christmas day.

You are going to be working your shift.

Perhaps you're working a long day shift, starting 7:00 AM in the morning and finishing 8:00 PM night.

At least you get to go home.

There are some patients who have probably got prolonged hospital stay.

Perhaps they're going to be staying overnight in hospital, away from their family, with the addition of staying in hospital during a global pandemic.

That's a scary feeling.

Think about the patients who are in that situation.

Hospital is the last place anyone wants to be, especially on a day that's important to them, like Christmas day.

Hospitals are under a lot of pressure.

Healthcare workers are being overworked.

Families are being restricted to going to hospital for their safety and for the patients' safety.

More than ever before, healthcare professionals are in the privileged position to be there for patients in a time where they need us more than ever.

So think about your attitude if you are due to work on Christmas day.

See it as a privilege.

It's just the nature of our job.

Nurses, Midwives, Doctors, anyone in the healthcare profession enter this profession knowing that there will be special occasions that we will have to miss, birthdays, weddings, family occasions, because working in healthcare is a 24/7 running service.

It is the nature of our profession.

For those of you who are also going into this profession, remember that as part of your mindset.

I don't like seeing it as a sacrifice as that means that I'm sort of compromising things, and no.

I love what I do.

I'm sure you love what you do as well.

Tip 2. (4.16) Make It Special For Your Patient

Now, this is where Paediatric Nurses win.

They truly make Christmas such a special time for the children that are having to stay in hospital on Christmas day.

My hospital actually made a Santa's grotto for the children on the paediatric ward.

I thought it was amazing.

It's such a brilliant idea.

Wear a fun Christmas themed accessory.It can be Antlers; this can be a Christmas jumper.

It can even be Christmas scrubs if your hospital allows it.

You're doing it for your patients to put a smile on their face.

And that is priceless.

Of course, just make sure that your ward and your hospital allows you to do that.

You don't want to be rocking up to work as a Christmas tree and your manager's looking at you like, "Disgraceful. Unprofessional."

No.

Just double check, but I'm sure most hospitals, wards, and areas will be making that effort for Christmas.

I wore this bright red, sparkly bow.

I remember one of the patients who I was looking after, she was an elderly lady.

She in fact said that I was her Christmas present, and that made me so happy.

But I realised it made her happy because she could see that the Nurses there are putting in the extra effort to make it special for the patients.

Now that red bow that I wore, it's such a small effort, but it made such a big impact for my patients, and that's what makes it worth it.

So yes, make it fun for your patients, for your colleagues, and make it a really joyous day for yourself.

Everyone truly puts in that effort. It really contributes to an amazing vibe and it just makes the day special for those who are having to stay in hospital.

Tip 3. (5.55) Be Safe

Lastly, my take home message.

Healthcare workers are here for our patients, are a dedicated service passionate for helping others.

Christmas is a time where everyone comes together.

Be safe.

Enjoy your time, spend it with your loved ones.

And of course, if you are working on Christmas day, whether it be a long day shift or a night shift or a short day shift, make it the best Christmas yet for yourself and of course for your patient.

That's all from me, guys.

I really hope you enjoyed this video.

Be sure to hit that Like button to show your support.

Leave some comments down below.

Let me know if you're working on Christmas day.

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Take care and stay safe.

Let me know in the comments if you're working over Christmas and any tips you have for working over the festive season - let's chat there!

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