What Are Your Favorite Holiday Nurse Stories?

I was activated for Dessert storm and was deployed to Eisenhower Hospital. My college kids had Christmas dinner ready for me when I got home late Christmas Day. Captain Russo

I am a Navy Nurse on a Navy Medical COVID mission set to come home on Christmas Eve. My kids have been asking Santa every chance they get for daddy to come home for Christmas. They don’t know I am coming home yet. My stepfather for many years has dressed up as Santa bringing the kids presents on the door step on Christmas Eve and standing out at the street so they don’t recognize him. Well he’s picking me up from the airport Friday dressed as Santa. I can’t wait to see those faces.

In the ’80’s, I was a charge nurse on an adolescent psych unit and scheduled to work New Year’s Eve, double shift, evening/night. Since we were all going to be stuck there with the kids, we decided to have a great party. Throughout the week, I facilitated groups where we discussed dating, how to ask someone to dance, how to turn someone down, and emphasized positive social skills with role-playing. The staff brought some of their clothes, many of our kids were from shelters, and fixed their hair. We all dressed up and ordered snacks. One of our kids wanted to serve as DJ. We turned the clocks back so that bedtime would be “midnight” after our final toast. Of course, we used plastic champagne glasses and non-alcoholic sparkling drinks. It was the best New Year’s Eve ever! It was such a thrill to watch the excitement of the teens practicing their social skills! Some of them kept their champagne glasses as a souvenir and spoke about it with their therapists. When security did their rounds at bedtime, they were surprised to find everyone in their rooms and getting ready for a good night’s sleep. I don’t know who enjoyed this evening more- the kids or the staff!

I been working as a Chronic hemodialysis nurse since 1996 . Yeah ! Don’t ask years coz I forgot already . So there is my sweet demanding Estrellita a Nurse who gave her life working at couple of hospital in Ca. Now sick and old in need of hemodialysis she came my way . Every shift she demands care ,quality of care she just to say , so everyone did and gave the best we could . One December day she told me she got the perfect gift for me in an envelope . I say no I may loose my job so she took it back kinda upset but she said ok .
Following week she brought me a figurine like 3 feet tall it resembled an angel on top the angel had a beautiful Star . Speechless I said thanks , then she said keep it for this season and for many to come . It’s 2020 and Estrellita still comes my way every December time .

At the hospital I worked at for EVERY holiday the cafeteria served pressed turkey roll. My coworker and I would make jokes about it. We didn’t know what else was in it, didn’t dare to ask either. On a brighter side, when I worked at another place at the change to the new millennium, our boss sent in as a surprise a catered dinner. And that was the end of his kindness. Happy New Years with the non-alcoholic bubbly.🎉🎉🎉🎉

My daughter is a surgical nurse and I remember her being called into work on Christmas morning. They recovered several organs which was so special especially for the recipients who’s life’s were extended on that Christmas morning. Jesus was born and they were reborn

I worked in an inpatient hospice for 15 years. It never failed that one of our favorite patients would chose the holiday to die. One bittersweet memory was a 12 year old female that had spina bifida was going downhill. She loved French fries but wasn’t allowed due to health issues. Make A Wish asked what she wanted and she was able to say McDonalds. So on Christmas Eve they gave her a party at our local Mickey Ds and she had a ball eating all the French fries she wanted with family and friends at her side. She came back to our unit all smiles. She had some stomach issues later but settled quietly with her parents at her side. She died peacefully around 1:00 Christmas morning still with a smile. Her Dad said she hadn’t rested that peacefully for some time. He believed she truly joined the Christmas angels.

One New Year ‘s Eve , little bottles of NON-Alcoholic apple cider came with dinner for each patient.They were delighted to have their own little toast. We were very surprised at how many patients awoke with hangovers the next morning (New Year’s Day)-each stating it was because they were not used to the champagne served!

I remember back in the late 80’s. I do not remember his admitting diagnosis, but this gentleman was with us for months-one problem after another-after several surgeries& being near death several times , he went home to his very loving & devoted family. Then s few days before Christmas he showed up with his family with so many gift wrapped packages. Each hada name. Inside was a hand painted ornament created by this gentleman & his wife. While a patient they recorded every person who had any thing to do with his care.-Nursing , techs, cleaning , dietary, volunteers, lab- EVERYONE! They created ornaments for each person to say Thank you. I still show it off every year on my tree & say a prayer for family.

In the mid 1970’s I was an ICU R.N. I was scheduled to work New Year’s Eve on the 7am to 3pm shift as I had been off Christmas Eve. My husband and I were going out to ring in the New Year with his sister and brother in law. We celebrated, really celebrated, and didn’t get home until the early morning. I knew I wouldn’t hear the alarm if I layed down so I got changed for work and sat down for what was to be just a minute. Next thing I knew the phone was ringing….it was the charge nurse and it was 7:15. I rushed into work with a headache and feeling nauseous. My two patients that shift was a lady with a GI bleed and the other was a post op with an NG tube to suction which needed emptying every 2 hours. Well, between emptying the NG collection bottle and my patient bleeding from both ends, I spent my time throwing up in the dirty utility room hopper. Never been so glad to see a shift end!

Toasting the new year with sparking apple cider out of (unused and clean) urine specimen cups