1. You skip the cooking
No turkey to roast, no kitchen to clean. You can dress up, decorate the station, and write notes to patients and coworkers instead. Many facilities hand out free meals on holidays, and if yours does not, delivery covers it.
One ward nurse put it simply: "The unit was slammed last Thanksgiving, but we still got the work done with time to spare. We just ordered boxes of pizza. No turkey, just good pizza."
2. The pay is better
Many facilities pay a holiday differential, often time and a half or double time. Worth knowing: no federal law requires it. The Department of Labor is clear that the Fair Labor Standards Act does not mandate premium pay for holiday work, so any differential comes from your employer's policy or union contract, not federal law. Check your own policy for the exact rate. Either way, the extra shows up in your check, and you can put it toward a treat, a gift, or the savings account you have been meaning to open.
As one ER nurse admitted: "I take the holiday shifts for the pay, no shame in it. My family is overseas anyway, so there is nobody to celebrate with at home."
3. You are there for your patients
A holiday shift does not trap you in the building for the whole day. You can still celebrate before or after. Your patients cannot. They are stuck there feeling lonelier than usual. Small acts of kindness land hard on a day like this. A genuine compliment or a warm smile costs you nothing and means a lot to someone confined over the holidays.
4. You get to know your coworkers
Spending a holiday together pulls out stories you would never hear on an ordinary shift, when everyone is heads down on tasks. You learn how people celebrate, what their traditions are, who is far from home.
One ICU nurse shared: "Last Christmas a coworker gave handmade angel figurines to my kids, a family tradition of hers. Her own kids were spending the holiday with their grandparents in another town because she had to work. I invited her over after our shift."
5. You are reminded of what you have
You are at the hospital for work. A lot of people are there because they or someone they love is sick. Let the day be a reminder to be grateful, for the job, for your health, and for the chance to spend part of it with people who need you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do nurses get paid extra for working holidays? Often, but it is not guaranteed. The Department of Labor states that the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require premium pay for holiday work, so a holiday differential, when you get one, comes from your employer's policy or union contract.
How much is holiday pay for nurses, usually? Where it is offered, time and a half is the most common rate, and some facilities pay double time. There is no federal standard, so check your own staffing or union agreement for the exact figure.
Is holiday premium pay required by law anywhere? A few states add their own rules, but federally there is no requirement. For most nurses, holiday pay is a benefit the employer chooses to offer.
What do nurses actually like about holiday shifts? Beyond any pay bump, common answers are skipping the cooking and cleanup, free meals many units provide, getting to know coworkers off the usual task grind, and being present for patients who cannot leave.
How much do registered nurses earn overall? The national median wage for RNs was about $93,600 in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, before any shift or holiday differentials your facility may add.