To think NHS workers aren’t ‘hero’s’ for working Christmas Day?!

[Reindeerlighthouse]

Just that. I have quite a few Nurses on my friend’s lists on social media and a few of them have posted today about how they’ve been working. Que loads of ‘omg, you’re an absolute angel’ ‘omg, you’re a true hero lovely’ type comments on all of their posts.

Am I being dim? They’ve been rostered on, they’re just doing their jobs on a day they’ve been rota’d onto, why are they ‘hero’s’ for that? It’s literally their job. I’m not saying their job doesn’t deserve credit because it absolutely does, but I’m sure if they’d have refused to work Christmas Day they’d have been facing disciplinary action?

My husband has worked the last 5 Christmas days (not medical related) no one has ever said he’s a hero for working it.

AIBU to think ti really doesn’t make them a hero? Just people doing their jobs on a day they’ve been told to do it?

I’m a nurse but now work a 9-5 in corporate.

I’ve only ever worked one Christmas Day. Lots of happy pictures on social media posing with my team on social media. Apart from them 5 minutes I spent the rest of my 12 hour shift nursing a critically ill man who was admitted Christmas morning and died that evening. His family were heartbroken (and I’ve thought of them frequently today). It’d like to think giving up time with my family helped theirs immensely despite the bad outcome. Nurses are hero’s. I’m sure you DH provides a valuable service to be working Xmas too, but it isn’t a race to the bottom.

They probably wouldn’t choose to do it, even if it’s double pay - so they are making a sacrifice

I work Christmas Day when it’s my turn. They could offer 1k an hour and I’d still not do it when it’s my year to have the day off.

They're not heroes. Most of them probably hate working Xmas day.
I certainly did.
It's the nature of the job that makes it more challenging at this time of year. I nursed dying people at home at Xmas. Young people, and cared for their families.
A shop worker is valued but wouldn't be emotionally challenged in the same way,

This 100%

If you want to be told that you are wonderful for having a husband working, just say that. Good for him/you. No need to make a rather mean spirited point about nurses on Christmas day. Forgive my lack of grace, but I really do get enervated by this every time people think nurses get one iota of gratitude or recognition.

Also a note on the ‘you knew what you were signing up to’ - absolutely no one knows what it’s going to be like until you’re in the sort of intensely high pressure situation nhs workers face every single day

Speaking as a former nhs doctor - this is my first Christmas spent at home with my family in a very long time. It was a choice, and mine was ‘no thanks, no more’. Beyond grateful for those still putting themselves through it

Just checked with Dh who did a big ward round this morning and will do another tomorrow, no he didn’t get paid any extra. Doesn’t think of himself as a hero, but he’s wondering why anyone would start such a petty minded thread.

🤣

I love it when people say 'you know what you signed up for' and/or 'just get a different job'. If everyone did that, who'd actually be working in the Hospitals? 😂

Agree that most don't want to be 'heroes', we just want to be paid properly, have decent working conditions and not be treated like shit.

They also get paid for it. There’s a (valid) argument as to wether they are getting paid enough but the fact is if they weren’t getting paid they wouldn’t do it. So all this sentimental fluff about “Oh of it was some corporate job no one would care because it’s self serving but NHS workers are there to help other people” - nonsense. They’re there for the money. And that’s absolutely fine.

One of my friends works in the NHS Christmas Day because she gets a shed load of money..end of..no particular heroics about it.

I used to work Xmas day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day whilst working for BT on operator service. When accepting the job you were made aware it’s a 24/7 365 day a year job, and you were expected to be available. We just got on with it, no point in complaining, we knew what was required when signing up.

YABU!
DH used to work in a non-essential job - think airlines so often had shifts at Xmas and I hated it and people who travelled on Xmas day as for one day the UK airports could blooming shut!!

So yes - people who choose to work in essential services and have to give up their Xmas for the sake of the rest of us (in an essential role) are heroes!

Everywhere else should shut for at least one day!

Luckily, DH no longer works for that industry and although financially it’s not as good - we get every Xmas and Boxing Day off now 🎉

They are Christmas angels

I think decent, kind nurses are wonderful working any day of the year. The trouble is that there are lots that are awful & I wonder why they do the job.

There are also the jobs that never get recognised - like the military. They don't just fight wars, they get bumped out at short notice to fill sandbags to stop floods, back fill for striking emergency services, COVID test truckers at the borders (that was literally christmas eve).

None of that is the job the public think they do. I've never seen them be called heros because of it.

Calling people heros for doing job whilst ignoring others is why there is such strong division in society.

No, not all jobs are equal. You can argue about whether nurses are paid enough, sure. But no one goes into nursing because they’re motivated by money.

People definitely go into corporate jobs because they’re motivated by money.

As I’ve said, I’m not a nurse - but I do think (sorry if it offends you) that there’s something inherently more selfless about a nursing career as opposed to a career in management consultancy or something. Being motivated by power and money is quite normal, but not necessarily admirable.

Is this actually true?

Can I also point out not everyone celebrates Christmas. It would be a bit unfair to pay people working Christmas Day time and a half but not Diwali and Hanukkah.

🤮

People don’t call military personnel heroes?!

Christmas is always the big ticket try and swap your shift day of the year but the ones where I want to be seen as a hero are those few perfect hot days of the year, when everyone en-masse goes out after work for a drink/has a BBQ but you are working in A&E and it gets crazy busy with fallen over drunks and burns from the BBQ and you can see the perfect evening sky and smell the warm loveliness every time the double doors swish open bringing in more people who stood on something whilst barefoot. Christmas isn't the tough day 😂

Your post overlooks the incredible dedication of NHS staff. Many willingly volunteer during the Christmas holidays, aiming to fill crucial gaps in staffing. These individuals leave their families behind to serve even when they have a choice not to.,truly embodying the spirit of heroes who care deeply.

By the way (at least for regular staff) Christmas and Boxing Day are paid as Sunday rates. There's 52 weeks a year, it's obvious which the OP would rather do.

Yep. DH having been one of them - wether he was in Iraq, Afghanistan or evacuating flood victims in Devon, no one calls him a hero (and I think he and I would both vomit a little if they did). Since COVID it’s been fashionable to fawn over NHS workers in an alarmingly OTT way - which also makes me wonder how many people “worship” their “NHS heroes” by actually using NHS services wisely and respectfully?

They are heroes. Not for working on a national holiday when you sign up for a job that includes that. But for keeping working in a service being systematically starved for funding but a government trying to force them out by paying them shit wages and less than minimal rises.

Because working Christmas Day is a bit shit, and given the choice, most people wouldn't work it... ultimately though it's part of the job and we accept it.

Christmas shifts are generally quite fun, we try to bring in snacks and there's decorations to make it a bit more jolly for us and the people we are caring for. People take photos because it's a nice memory, that's how they're spending Christmas Day, it's a special shift to remember with our colleagues. I don't see the problem with sharing photos, people's family and friends like to see how they've spent the day.

I've welcomed 2 Christmas babies into the world today, had a lovely shift which was made special by the families I've cared for and my colleagues. I'm not a big social media person so haven't shared photos but don't see what the problem would be if I had.

I don't really understand your problem with it.
Is it doing you or anyone else any harm?