To plan on getting quite drunk at my work Christmas party?

Must do ,the.parties i went to tended to to consist of à ward organising a meal in a hotel /restaurant with dancing etc after which staff paid for themselves ,or sometimes a pub crawl or whatever

Doesn't matter where the venue is. Staff are still viewed as if they were in the workplace and must behave accordingly.

Intelligent input.

Again how ,if it is a do organised a paid for by the staff themselves in a venue not connected to the hospital?

It's a party organised and paid for themselves ,
There would be hardly any staff left if they disciplined everyone who had a few too many in the trust I worked forat Xmas

I worked in the public sector. Our Christmas dos were self funded and usually in venues near,but unconnected with,the office. Every year a notice appeared on the intranet reminding us of our responsibilities with regard to drinking alcohol and behaving inappropriately.

Medicare, similar to the NHS in the UK, is not a corporate affair. Medicare is the public universal health fund fully paid by taxpayers in Australia.

Xmas parties organised by public service areas of government are funded from the moneys they allocate from taxpayers and small contributions from the staff over the year. Boozy parties have been long gone because they can't be justified in money or ethics.

I've been a nurse for many years and have NEVER met a new nurse like the OP is making us to believe she is,

I am a nurse. Currently pregnant so no drinking or getting drunk this year for me. I’ll be honest, I’ll absolutely get merry with my CLOSE nurse friends. We’ve known each other for 10 years. But that will be a private thing with a few of us. For a formal work event? Absolutely not. Having a few drinks is ok as long as you are full control. Getting drunk? NO! Most of them are your colleagues and NOT your friends. You’ve been there for less than 6 months. Don’t embarrass yourself with people you have to behave professionally with a few days later.

If you build individual friendships with some of them further down the line, that’s different if you want to go out on nights out with them. But don’t embarrass yourself with just your work colleagues you barely know!!!

In the UK, NHS Christmas parties are paid for by staff. Arranged by a staff member. Entirely the staff members choice if they go. It's a night out, with people you know from work.

The absolutely OTT abstemious comments are unreal. I am so glad I love the people I work with, and we regularly socialise together and have a blast. If someone drinks too much and makes a tit of themselves no one really particularly cares. It's certainly not talked about for years (is there nothing else going on in your lives?!) Some of our colleagues are not up for that, ok that's fine and they can drink their one drink and go home. The rest of us can have fun and relax and bond and party.

The point I'm making is that the Xmas parties I have been to when I was a nurse were self funded the NHS did NOT pay for them, the Op has confirmed its just her and her team going out for drinks who, I assume they are paying for themselves

I’ve worked in the NHS for 25 years and I have definitely been to Christmas parties where people were absolutely bladdered. But it varies SO much from team to team, that honestly I wouldn’t do it at your first one. I’ve been to parties where just one person got really really drunk and everyone else was just slightly merry, and you do not want to be the one person falling over and starting fights with herself because you haven’t paced yourself well.

Seriously, grow up.

To be fair, I’d have thought the same when I was young and daft. But being the butt of everyone’s jokes wears thin. Doesn’t make folk bitter - just life experienced.

The OP, as the title thread she started, is planning on getting drunk on the Christmas party.

The fact she says she's a newly qualified nurse in 2024 making a post about getting drunk in MN, is apparently not important.

No wonder standards of work are going down the gurgle.

Xmas drinks,Xmas do ,Xmas party same difference ,I did the same when I was a, newly qualified nurse in 1996 our Xmas parties /Do,s /Drinks were legendary and all self funded

Same, people are so out of touch with reality and so miserable.

OP; have fun, let your hair down, just don't get so drunk you vomit or make a fool out of yourself.
Posters on here are acting like you're going to a board meeting ffs. Miseries the whole lot of you.

No, do not treat your Christmas night out like a formal event. You'll get the piss taken out of you.

Depends what sort of a drunk you are I guess. Your 'crazy lady' is probably the type who provides the free entertainment with her 'hilarious' behaviour (aka makes a tit of herself so people get a good laugh) but never makes a nuisance of herself by getting scrappy, teary, sick or in need of help home. If you're that person and don't mind being the entertainment then fill your boots. Personally I'd take it easy especially on a first night out with them when you don't know how the land lies and who you can trust.

@Alondra in my experience of the NHS, Christmas parties were a lot more drunken 20 years ago. A HCA in my team came to my leaving do, where my manager was present. She drank 3 pints and then went to her night shift. That would never happen now. I also remember people working long days, going to the pub for a couple on their break and going back to work. Staff would also spend the whole shift in the smoke room in psychiatric wards. Standards are much higher nowadays when it comes to drugs and alcohol I promise you.

No it's embarrassing

I work in a&e and our Christmas parties have about 200 attendees and you bet we all get merry and have a bloody good time. Nurses, doctors, consultants, pharmacists, domestic staff, non clinical staff. Have people done embarrassing things? Yes of course, doesn't mean we will get ostracised and pull through a disciplinary for getting pissed! Obviously don't get bladdered and vomit over everyone but definitely have a drink and have fun!

Really drunk people are fucking tedious to be around, don't care if people can 'handle their drink.' They're loud and obnoxious and not even remotely as witty as they believe.

Have a few, be merry but don't get blasted. Do that with your non work mates, much safer environment.

You'll be thankful you did.

I guess it depends on what how the staff are behaving inappropriately ,having a few too many drinks and being a bit silly and loud ime was fine
Fights ,verbal and physical well obviously would bring the organisation into disrepute, not something i ever witnessed though

Tell us you don't have a clue without telling us you don't have a clue.

You are the one "out of touch with reality".

You would have got away with it in 1996, if you were lucky. It's nearly 30 years later and it's really not like that any more.