In the Operating Room (OR), the shifts leading up to a major holiday are equivalent to working night shift during a full moon – every shift, every day.  The days are crazy and the nights are long. Add to that the mad December rush to get all surgeries in before the end of the year and suddenly, everything comes together to bring a whole new meaning to the word busy.

So, with Christmas upon us, I thought it would be fun to share this poem I wrote about Christmas Eve in the Operating Room. If you’ve ever worked a shift during the holidays, I’m sure you can relate to some of it. Think of this as an OR version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas season!

Christmas Eve in the OR

It’s Christmas Eve in the OR

and look down the halls,

The staff’s getting restless –

which doctor’s on call?

We’re off to our rooms

to get set up for cases,

We wipe down our tables

and load up our spaces.

Vancomycin, Marcaine,

and Saline for starters,

We stock up on gloves

and supplies like we’re hoarders.

We’ve got every suture

the doc might ever use,

And I think, if you steal one,

we might blow a fuse.

We’ve got our assignments;

our shift will go well.

Yet we whisper a prayer

the day won’t go to hell.

But, like the constant return

of the waves to the shore,

Are the surgeons who want

to keep adding “one more.”

So many cases

they keep adding with glee!

Did you really think

you’d get off work by 3?

The OR Charge Nurses

are running amuck,

And the scheduler’s desk

looks like lightning just struck.

The add-ons continue,

the hours tick by,

Our assignments keep coming;

we grab supplies on the fly.

We’ve recovered 2 bullets

and stopped all the bleeding,

That trauma in 1 will

see their family this evening.

The kid down in 7

got fixed up real fast,

And he’s even getting

a fun, festive cast!

There’s a mother of two

down in OR 14,

When her heartbeat returned

the whole room made a scene –

Soon she’ll wake to see

her kids’ smiling faces,

Grateful this Christmas for

all God’s good graces;

But it doesn’t look good

down in OR 11,

I’m guessing that soul will

spend Christmas in Heaven.

We’ve worked all day long

and into the night,

Our shifts came and went –

and then went out of sight.

The lunch that was scarfed

at 11 this morning,

Has long disappeared

and our stomachs are roaring.

There’s an ache in our backs

and our feet are so sore,

But we’ll jump to get ready

when they add on once more.

The dawn is approaching,

Christmas Day has arrived!

And we’re thankful today

for that shift we survived.

We’ll head off to our homes,

our families, and pets,

And we’ll celebrate today,

but please, never forget –

We’re nurses and scrubs

with such great ambition,

The OR is our passion,

saving patients our mission.

We’ll work all night long

if there are patients to save,

And we’ll give it our best –

every case, every day.

Melanie Perry

As always, feel free to share with your coworkers and friends! Please remember to give me credit as the author. 😊