The holiday season is here! 

The most wonderful time of the year, supposedly. For most people, this means matching pajamas, over-the-top charcuterie boards, cozy nights watching Christmas rom-coms, and unapologetically eating ham for breakfast.

For nurses, however?

It’s the annual marathon of overtime requests, festive-themed chaos, staffing shortages, patients with “holiday cheer” and holiday cheer (you know the difference), and trying to smuggle a piece of fruitcake into the break room without someone charting on top of it.

But fear not, brave healthcare warriors. At Good Hope Healthcare, we believe the holidays aren’t just about surviving. They’re about thriving, even if you’re thriving with caffeine, under-eye bags, and an emotional support water bottle!

So grab a cup of something caffeinated, take a deep breath (preferably not within coughing distance of anyone), and let’s dive into your witty, joyful, sanity-saving guide to surviving the holiday shifts like the Christmas angel you are.

1. First Things First: You’re Not Alone

The holidays bring extra pressure for everyone, but nursing professionals take it to the next level. You’re caring for patients who want to go home, families who sometimes need more emotional support than the patient, and colleagues who are also running on very little sleep.

This is why Good Hope Healthcare takes pride in supporting nurses with flexible shift options, compassionate staffing solutions, and a work environment that remembers that nurses are humans too. Humans with bones that get tired, hearts that get overwhelmed, and brains that sometimes forget why they walked into the storage room.

The first step in surviving the holidays is knowing this:

You belong to a community that understands, supports, and cheers for you.

Even when you’re on your fourth back-to-back shift. Even when your hair has been in the same bun since November. Even when you ask a colleague, “Is today Monday?” and they answer, “It’s Thursday,” without the sarcastic backlash you’ll get from ordinary non-healthcare-worker personnel. 

2. The Holiday Shift Mindset: “Festive, Not Frazzled”

Sure, you may be working on Christmas Eve while other people are arguing about who gets the last piece of gingerbread cookie. But having the right mindset can shift your energy from drained to determined.

Embrace the Tiny Joys

Not the toxic positivity kind of joy. The real one.

Like:

• The patient who sings along to Christmas songs with you.
• The coworker who always brings snacks.
• The smell of fresh coffee on a night shift.
• Quiet hallways during the rare 20-minute calm.
• A brand-new pen that nobody steals for at least 10 minutes.

Let those micro-moments carry you.

Practice the Art of Letting Go

Holiday shifts can get chaotic. Someone will cry. Something will spill. Someone’s family member will ask you the same question 7 times.

Repeat after me:

“I am not the Grinch. I am festive. I am kind. I am caffeinated. I will survive.”

3. Bring the Holiday Spirit (Without the Burnout)

No one expects you to turn the ward into a Pinterest board. But bringing a touch of holiday cheer can boost morale for patients and the team.

Here are low-effort, high-impact ideas:

Tiny Decorations, Big Mood

A small ornament on your ID lanyard.
A festive scrunchie.
A cute Christmas badge reel with a tiny, judgmental Santa face.

It tells everyone, “Yes, I am tired, but I am also adorable.”

Create a Shift Playlist

Start a collaborative Spotify playlist with your team called:
“Songs That Keep Us From Crying on Night Shift.”

Trust me—Christmas hits mixed with 2000s throwbacks are medicinal.

Sharing Snacks = Holiday Love Language

Bring one thing:

• cookies
• chocolates
• chips
• literally anything edible

Food is the official currency of healthcare morale.

4. Protect Your Peace Like It’s a Controlled Substance

Self-care during the holidays isn’t optional. It is the epitome of survival.

Hydrate Like You’re Training for the Olympics

Your water bottle should be as close to you as your stethoscope.
(Honestly, closer, because patients rarely steal water bottles.)

Take Micro-Breaks

Even 2–3 minutes to breathe, stretch, or stare into the void is healing.
Go to the restroom not because you need to but because it’s the only place where no one can page you for 60 seconds!

Learn the Art of Boundary-Setting

Especially during the holidays, you do not have to:

• cover every shift
• solve every problem
• be everyone’s emotional punching bag

Remind self q30: You are a nurse. Not a Christmas miracle vending machine.

5. Teamwork Makes the Holiday Shift Work

Your team is your holiday family, whether you like it or not.

Create a “We Got This” Culture

Small things matter:

• Offer to grab water for a coworker.
• Share your snacks.
• Cover their patient while they breathe.
• Compliment their Christmas-themed socks.

Good Hope Healthcare believes in this supportive culture, and fostering it is part of how we strengthen every facility we work with.

Check In on Each Other

“Hey, have you eaten?”
“Do you need a break?”
“Want to scream into a pillow together later?”

Caring for each other is what makes the season manageable.

6. How to Actually Rest When You’re Off

You finally clock out.
You go home.
You lie down.
You… still feel like you’re at the nurses’ station.

Sound familiar?

Here’s how to reset your nervous system:

Do the Opposite of a Shift

If your shift was:

• loud → choose quiet
• chaotic → choose slow
• nonstop → choose stillness

Let your off-duty time be a counterbalance.

Schedule Rest Like an Appointment

Block it on your calendar:
REST — DO NOT BOOK ANYTHING OR ANYONE!!!

Protect it with the same ferocity you protect your last syringe.

Celebrate Yourself

Even if it’s simple:

• order your favorite food
• watch your comfort series
• wrap yourself in a blanket burrito
• drink something warm
• sleep like you are auditioning for a Sleeping Beauty reboot

You deserve it more than anyone.

7. Make Self-Care Realistic, Not Instagram-Worthy

Self-care for nurses is not always candlelit baths with Enya playing.

Sometimes self-care is:

• Eating before you get hangry.
• Stretching your back so you don’t walk like a question mark.
• Saying “no” to extra shifts.
• Taking a nap so deep you forget your name.
• Changing your socks halfway through the shift because fresh socks = mental reset.

And remember: Self-care is not selfish. It is survival.

8. When Holiday Emotions Hit Hard

Holidays can bring up big feelings: for you, your patients, and their loved ones.

Acknowledge It (Even Silently)

You’re human.
You’re allowed to feel sad, tired, overwhelmed, or homesick.

Connect With Your “People”

Even a 5-minute call with a friend or family member can refill your emotional tank.

Use Humor as Medicine

Nurses have some of the best humor in the world.
You laugh in situations others would faint in.

So when in doubt, crack a light joke, make a silly face behind your mask, or nickname your tasks like:

• “The Charting Apocalypse”
• “The Hydration Olympics”
• “The Bedpan Games”

Laughter heals, even your own heart.

9. Healthy Boundaries With Holiday Food

Let’s be honest. December eating is a sport.

But holiday shifts mean:

• free food everywhere
• potlucks in every corner
• surprise boxes of sweets
• relatives sending treats “just because”

The Rule: Eat What Brings Joy, Not Regret

If bibingka makes your soul ascend, eat it.
If fruitcake looks suspiciously dense, skip it.

Pack Something Nutritious (Just in Case)

Because you don’t want dinner to be leftover cookies from Room 14.

10. After The Holidays: Reflect, Reset, Recover

Once the season wraps up, give yourself time to mentally process everything.

Ask yourself:

• What did I learn about myself?
• What helped me survive?
• What drained me the most?
• What do I want to change next year?

Nursing is continuous growth, and holiday shifts are one of the toughest tests.
But you showed up. You cared. You made a difference.

And that, truly, is magic

The Heart of Everything: Good Hope Healthcare is Here for You

At Good Hope Healthcare, we recognize the incredible strength, humor, compassion, and grit that nurses bring—especially during the holidays.

We believe in:

• flexible staffing
• supportive environments
• fair opportunities
• and work conditions that respect your humanity

We’re committed to helping nurses not just work but work well, with dignity, support, and the occasional well-deserved laugh.

The holidays may be wild, but with the right tools (and the right team), you’ll not only survive but you’ll sleigh the season. 

Final Thought?

Dear nurse,

You are the warm light in someone’s hardest day.

Even in the busy, stressful, chaotic holiday season…

YOU make the difference.

You matter.

And you deserve joy too.

Here’s to surviving the holidays with wit, resilience, and a whole lot of heart. 

From all of us at Good Hope Healthcare,
✨ Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ✨

References:

• American Nurses Association – Nurse Well-Being / Mental Health Resources
• Nurse Well-Being Program (American Nurses Foundation / ANA) — free curriculum + tools → ANA
• More on their well-being initiative → ANA+1
• NIOSH – Stress at Work
• STRESS…At Work NIOSH (CDC) booklet → CDC
• Risk factors for stress and burnout for healthcare workers (NIOSH) → CDC
• World Health Organization – Health Worker Burnout / Mental Health Framework
• Our duty of care: A global call to action to protect the mental health of health and care workers report (WHO) → World Health Organization+1
• WHO “Protecting health and care workers’ mental health” consultation (2024) → World Health Organization
• WHO Fact Sheet – Mental Health at Work → World Health Organization
• International Council of Nurses (ICN) – Nurse Workforce Support & Well-Being Guidelines
• ICN “Caring for Nurses Agenda for Sustainable Workforce Well-being” → ICN – International Council of Nurses
• ICN Global Survey & Mental Health Workforce Report → ICN – International Council of Nurses
• Journal of Nursing Management – Workload, Stress, and Resilience Among Nurses
• Journal of Nursing Management — Wiley Online Library (general journal site) → Wikipedia