Christmas

10 On our oncology/BMT unit we have many patients that just cannot make it home for Christmas. In the past few years, we have started a week of holiday festivities on the unit to help lift the patients' spirits and it does wonders. A group of us will go around the unit singing Christmas carols with our scarves/hats/gloves and an electric candle. We buy candy canes and holiday candies that we put into stockings and give to the patients. On Christmas Eve, everyone pitches in money to have a dinner for the patients and their families in the family lounge. It's something nice that we do for our patients!

Does anyone else have holiday festivities in their units or facilities for patients?
I've been on units in other facilities that have done this but with the current financial climate, I don't know of anyone doing this right now.

OP, that's really nice that you guys do that. It's not expensive to do. You just need some good people.

That's getting at the true spirit of Christmas, I think. Merry Christmas to you & yours!

That is such a wonderful thing to do for your patients! I have had to work Christmas many times and I can't recall doing anything quite that special!!

It's amazing what we can do for our patients when we work as a team. That is most definitely the true spirit of Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Incrediby kind. I'm envious. Unfortunately the ER is a hard place to such a great tradition. Hopefully some er staff will jump in and prove me wrong.

when I worked a heat transplant, and was floated to the "step down', their patients had been there for 6 months or more in general.the staff brought in dinner and they had a huge party in the conference room with all the family, where gifts were exchanged, a tree and it was wonderful (diet restriction of course included here)... but these patients were permanent here and it was beautiful to be a part of. It was like christmas at my own home.