Spare a thought for these hard working nurses on duty Christmas Day in Cork

Christmas is a special time of year for many people — a time for joy and laughter, tearful reunions, and joyous homecomings.

But while the rest of the country is busy doing nothing, a select few are busy keeping the country warm for when you eventually want to drift back to it.

Doctors, nurses, surgeons, and paramedics are working 12-hours shifts on Christmas Day, while members of An Garda Síochána and the fire service are also kept busy.

Volunteer mountain rescuers are on call, pilots are flying planes, radio DJs are keeping the country entertained with live shows on Christmas Day, and hundreds, if not thousands, of waiters, waitresses, and bar staff are busy with guests who decided to eat out this yuletide.

Mercy University Hospital St Anne’s Ward staff: (at rear) Martina Hughes, assistant director of nursing and (front left to right ) Celia O’Donoghue, staff nurse; Ann O’Halloran, healthcare assistant; Evelyn Keane, staff nurse, and Sinead Favier, ward manager.

At the children’s ward of the Mercy University Hospital in Cork, the staff are all wearing festive hats, badges, and socks in an effort to bring their patients a bit of festive cheer.

From early December the decorations were up and the visitors were pouring in, bringing presents for the children and donations for the hospital. The surprising generosity of people really keeps you going, according to staff nurse Celia O’Donoghue, who will be working this Christmas.

“It’ll be a bit lonely on the day, you think of your own family, but that wears off,” she said.

“You could be coming in here feeling miserable on Christmas Day if you wanted to be a Grinch but the children here will make you enjoy it. By midday they will have opened all their presents and they’ll be showing you what they got, they’ll want you to play with them, show you everything, and unless you’re very strange you get into the spirit fairly quickly.”

Celia, from Kerry — “outside Kilgarven, on the way to Kenmare”, she states proudly — has been working at the Mercy for 18 years and said Christmas Day is, in fact, a privileged day to work in the children’s ward as it’s essentially the heart and soul of the hospital during the festive season.

“The children wake up, their presents are there, they open them, and then more presents come and different people call in during the day so it just flies. Then we all kind of meet and have food at some stage during the day and different family members come in. It’s hard on families when kids are in hospital so you have to kind of make it special for them,” she said.

Mercy University Hospital St Anne’s Ward staff and young patients with (front) Sinead Favier, ward manager holding six-month-old Mickie in the paediatric ward.

“I’ve no children myself and my dad died just two years ago. My mum would like me to be there for Christmas but she was a nurse herself so she knows the way it goes. My brother’s a guard here in Cork and we’re both working for Christmas so you just accept these things. I don’t mind, I understand it’s part of my job.”

Fellow nurse Evelyn Keane is also working through Christmas, but prefers to do the night shift of 8pm to 8am so she can be with her children on Christmas morning when they wake up and open their presents.

“I’ve three children, they’re 9, 7, and 3, and they’re super excited for Christmas. They were a little put out when they found out I would be working but then I explained because I’m working nights that I’d be home on the morning of Christmas Day at least. It’s not the worst shift because at least you’re around during the day but you are tired,” she said.

“I’m from Cloughduv which is just beyond Ballincollig so it’s not too far, it’s only about half an hour away. No matter how tough it is for us it’s tougher for the parents and the families of the children in the hospital. But it is a lovely day, there’s a lovely vibe around, and the whole day is extremely child focused.”

Care assistant Ann O’Halloran, a mother of five from Cork City, said her children, the youngest of whom is 21, are well used to her hours.

“The staff at the hospital work as a team and we just make the most of it for the kids in the ward. It’s lovely to be on Christmas day,” she said.

“The parents come in and they’re so exhausted themselves and they’re so worried. And then to reassure them and see them bring their child home when they’re well, that’s what it’s all about.”

Sinead Favier, clinical nurse manager, said the staff are fair to each other around the holidays and always acknowledge when it’s their turn to work Christmas. “When you’re working the day it’s very enjoyable and a lot of people just plan their Christmas around the shift that they’re working. It’s the nature of the job. We’re 24/7 cover. Hospitals don’t close.

Sinead Favier, ward manager, in festive mood on the paediatric ward at Mercy University Hospital.

“Staff here are very good, very fair, very obliging. They will say ‘It’s my turn to work this year’. We’ve a very good team spirit here and we all know we have to work, it’s just a matter of making sure the shifts are divided out fairly.”