The holiday season is upon us. It’s a time of giving, family, festive lights, and maybe snuggling up by a fire with a cup of creamy eggnog. On the other hand, if you’re a nurse, the holidays may be filled with—well, you guessed it—work. That’s right, working during the holidays as a nurse is not only common but generally required of most nursing staff. That’s because hospital patient visits and admissions double during the holiday season. As a result, the majority of nurses already expect to work through the holidays and miss out on ‘tis-the-season plans. And while an effective nursing rotation holiday schedule can help nurses get some time off, most healthcare professionals will be required to work some major holidays. But, listen—there is a silver lining. That is to say, if you are a nurse and dread working holidays, we have a few solutions for you, and one is to find a nursing job that doesn’t require working on the weekends or holidays.
Sound too good to be true? Think again! Check out a few low-stress nursing jobs that allow you to take off a holiday or two!
Do Nurses Get Extra Days Off Because of Holidays?
In general, most healthcare facilities have strong vacation and paid time off (PTO) policies, with nurses getting seventeen paid vacation days on average after their first year and up to twenty-six on average after twenty years. Furthermore, depending on the place of employment, PTO may be divided into sick days and vacation days. Ultimately though, the vast majority of nurses will be required to work on holidays considering that hospital patient admissions can skyrocket during the holiday season. In any case, it’s always best for a nurse to submit a time off request well in advance for a holiday break. At the same time, since employers are not obliged to approve PTO requests, nurses should prepare to work during the holiday season. Consequently, all these factors explain why some nurses decide to transition into less stressful nursing positions that don’t require working weekends or holidays.
Nursing Positions That Don’t Require Working Weekends
If you are a licensed nurse and are currently working in a hospital setting, it’s likely you work weekends. And while many nurses work eight- or ten-hour shifts, depending on their place of employment, many registered nurses who are employed by a hospital will decide to work at least three days (sometimes four) twelve-hour shifts in a row. This type of nursing schedule is sometimes referred to as a “four on and four off twelve-hour schedule” or a “three twelves shift.” In this scenario, a nurse will work twelve-hour intervals for three to four days straight and have the next couple of days off. One of the advantages of working bundled twelve-hour shifts is that nurses can enjoy a string of days off in a row. Many nurses decide to catch up on sleep, play, or spend time with their families on their accumulated “off days.” At the same time, whether a nurse works eight-, ten-, or twelve-hour shifts, the reality is that most nurses will be required to work on the weekends—it’s just the nature of the job. So what are some nursing jobs that don’t require a nurse to work through the weekends? Here’s what we found out:
Per Diem Nursing
Could you imagine building your schedule as a registered nurse (RN) and choosing only to work the shifts you want to? Sound far-fetched? As a matter of fact, per diem nursing, or PRN nursing, allows you to do just that! That is to say, PRN nursing is when a nurse only works as needed and often fills in at the last minute. Per diem nurses generally cover shifts according to the needs of a medical facility—and their own schedule preferences. This flexible schedule allows nurses to choose how much and how often they want to work. As a result of being able to pick up shifts and work “as needed,” PRN nurses will find that they have a good amount of freedom to enjoy hobbies and activities outside of work. Thus, PRN nursing may be a good fit for nurses who don’t want to work many weekends or holidays and are looking for more life-work balance.
Work-at-Home Nurse
Working as a remote nurse requires all the same credentials and certifications as working on-site but without the commute. With that in mind, a work-at-home nurse (also referred to as a remote nurse) is a registered nurse who offers a broad range of healthcare services and treatment modalities for patients remotely. One of the biggest benefits of being a work-at-home nurse is that a nurse can enjoy a considerable amount of flexibility—wink wink, think weekends off! Hence, if you are a nursing professional and looking for a little more freedom and time off, a remote nursing position like a work-at-home nurse could be an excellent choice for your current lifestyle.
Online Nurse Educator
Nurse educators generally have a few years (if not more) of working directly with patients at a hospital or another medical facility. Therefore, a nurse educator will always be a professionally licensed and certified nurse. Futhermore, a nurses educator will be prepared to teach the next generation of aspiring nurses either in an educational setting or at a healthcare facility. Additionally, many nurses will choose to work for remote and online education positions. That said, the job description of an online nurse educator can vary depending on experience and the institution where a nurse educator decides to work. Generally, however, online nurse instructors may be in charge of developing coursework, holding online lectures, assigning homework, and administering exams. And here’s the best part—typically, an online nurse educator will work a typical office-hour schedule. That means that a nurse educator position will work conventional hours during the week—nine to five, Monday through Friday, for example. Therefore, if you are an RN with advanced clinical experience and are looking for a career that is rewarding, flexible, and doesn’t require working many holidays or weekends, then an online nurse educator position could be an excellent fit for you!
Nurse Holidays Are the Best Holidays
The dedication and commitment it takes to be a nurse require both mental and physical stamina. For these reasons, a nurse must find time to take care of their mental well-being by taking a break here and there. And while many nurses will thrive working long shifts back to back, for other nursing professionals, this may not be the case. In other words, if you are a nurse and are showing signs of burnout, then perhaps it’s time to consider a less stressful nursing position. Because at the end of the day, feeling positive and emotionally healthy at work will also keep you healthy and motivated in other pockets of your life.
