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The holiday lights are twinkling, the flu census is exploding, and your unit is running on fumes and coffee. You just worked a double because someone called out (again), your paycheck still doesn’t reflect the lives you save, and now Aunt Linda is guilt-tripping you for missing Christmas Eve dinner.

Sound familiar?

Welcome to December nursing—any year, any country. You are not weak for feeling overwhelmed. You are human.

I’m Wendy Stone, RN, PhD—a nurse who has pulled more holiday shifts than I can count, mentored hundreds through burnout, and recently chose my peace over a toxic workplace.

Here is the truth I live by: The system may fail us, but the nurse standing next to you never has to.

That is our superpower. That is our lifeline.

I have seen it a thousand times:

·      The night-shift crew who pools money for the new grad’s flat tire

·      The charge nurse who brings homemade tamales at 0300 “because we’re family tonight”

·      The quiet moment when two battle-weary nurses lock eyes after a code and just nod — no words needed, everything understood

We don’t just work together. We survive together. We celebrate together. We cry in the med room together. That bond is sacred, and during the holidays it becomes oxygen.

So let’s protect it with everything we’ve got.

Five Ways to Keep the Team Spirit Alive This Holiday Season (Even When Everything Else Is Falling Apart)

 

1.     Start a “Warm Hand-Off Blessing.” Before you leave, find the nurse taking over your patients and say one genuine thing: “Room 312 is finally sleeping — she just needed someone to hold her hand for five minutes.” That tiny moment of human connection refills both of your tanks.

2.     Create a “We’ve Got You” Board in the break room. Sticky notes where anyone can write: “I’ve got lunches for nights 12/23–12/25” or “Need a ride after nights? Text me.” I’ve watched entire units transform when kindness becomes visible.

3.     The 2-Minute Check-In Rule. If you see a teammate’s eyes go glassy, pull them aside: “Two minutes. Vent or cry — I’m here.” Two minutes of being truly seen prevents weeks of burnout.

4.     Celebrate the Small Wins Out Loud. “Hey everyone — Maria just got her first solo IV start on a hard stick!” Cheer like you’re at a football game. We get so little applause; we have to give it to each other.

5.     Protect the Pack. When admin tries to mandatorily pull someone on their promised day off, the entire shift speaks with one voice: “We agreed as a team — that day is protected.” Unity is the only language management understands. Sometimes.

The world will never fully understand what we do. But the nurse who covered your lunch so you could pump breast milk does. The tech who ran to get crash-cart supplies while you did compressions does. The housekeeper who brought you a candy cane “just because” does.

This holiday season, let’s be outrageously kind to each other. Because when the ratios are unsafe and the pay is unfair, the one thing that still works is us.

You are not alone. You are surrounded by the toughest, most big-hearted family on earth.

Hold on to each other. We’ve got this—together.

With unbreakable respect and love, Wendy Stone, RN, PsyD—Doctoral-trained psychotherapist, International CE educator, and lifelong nurse warrior.