The Holidays in Healthcare

For many professions, the holidays come with a natural pause. Offices close early. Email slows down. Calendars clear just enough to breathe.

Healthcare and healthcare education don’t really work that way! I’m sure I’m not the only healthcare educator who has thought, “I’ll just get a few things done while the students are away…” only to find myself in danger of working straight through the holidays.

But look at the PAs we train! Illness, injury, and unexpected mishaps don’t check the calendar, and neither do the people who care for them. Clinics stay open. Urgent care centers fill up. While the rest of the world may slow down, healthcare adapts and carries on.

During the holidays, that ceaseless work comes with a very familiar cast of characters.

A Holiday Tradition Unlike Any Other: The Urgent Care Injury Lineup

Every year, healthcare teams see a predictable surge of holiday-related injuries. Nothing dramatic. Nothing life-threatening. But absolutely things that require real medical attention, and real professionals willing to work while others celebrate.

Here’s a cautionary look at some of the most common holiday urgent care visits and the teams who treat them with patience, skill, and more grace than they’re often given credit for.

🎄 Ladders vs. Gravity

Common injuries: wrist fractures, ankle sprains, bruises, back pain, and falls!

The scenario: Hanging lights, trimming trees, fixing “one last thing.”

What the patient says:

“I can make an eight-foot ladder do the work of a twelve-foot ladder if I just reach far enough.”

What the care team knows:
Gravity remains undefeated, and holiday decorating might deserve its own warning label.

🔪 Kitchen Mishaps

Common injuries: finger lacerations, puncture wounds, minor cuts

The scenario: Cooking for a crowd, rushing, or opening packaging engineered by someone who clearly thinks this is funny.

What the patient says:

“Who knew that avacado-hand was such a common injury?”

What the care team knows:
Holiday meals are made with love, care, and occasionally, sutures.

🕯️ Burns

Common injuries: first- and second-degree burns to hands and forearms

The scenario: Hot pans, steam, ovens and stovetops, candles, or grabbing something “real quick.”

What the patient says:

“Well, it didn’t LOOK hot.”

What the care team knows:
Oven mitts are not optional. They are PPE.

📦 Back Strains and Muscle Injuries

Common injuries: lower back strain, neck and shoulder pain

The scenario: Lifting boxes, shoveling driveways, dragging decorations out of storage, wrestling a tree into place.

What the patient says:

“I didn’t know my back could make a noise like that.”

What the care team knows:
Holiday cheer is often fueled by questionable lifting technique. One workout a year does not a routine make.

❄️ Slips, Trips, and Falls

Common injuries: sprains, fractures, contusions

The scenario: Ice, wet entryways, stairs, rushing outside without proper footwear.

What the patient says:

“But these heels looked so good with the dress!”

What the care team knows:
Winter always wins.

🍽️ Food-Related Illness

Common issues: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain

The scenario: Large gatherings, buffet-style meals, leftovers with a flexible interpretation of time.

What the patient says:

“It had only been sitting out for six hours, give or take.”

What the care team knows:
It will be years before this patient can stand the smell of candied yams again.

🧸 Kid-Related Injuries

Common injuries: bumps, falls, minor head injuries, toy mishaps

The scenario: Excited kids, new toys, disrupted routines.

What the parent says:

“It honestly looked to big to fit up his nose.”

What the care team knows:
Calm reassurance goes a long way, for kids and parents alike.

Behind Every Visit Is a Team That Keeps Showing Up

The medical profession is made up of people who have agreed to put the mission first. Professionals who work in hospitals, clinics, and urgent care during holidays. Educators who teach students what to do when these injuries walk through the door. Staff who keep clinics running smoothly. Students learning how to care for others under supervision. Healthcare teams show up with professionalism, compassion, and steady presence, even when the rest of the world is celebrating.

And behind those professionals are often families and partners who understand that the mission doesn’t pause. They adjust schedules, stay flexible, handle last-minute changes, and support long hours without complaint. Their role in healthcare education and care is rarely visible, but it is always deeply felt.

A Season of Giving

The holidays in healthcare are a mix of dedication, patience, teamwork and hopefully, a strong sense of humor! Sometimes laughter is part of how professionals sustain themselves through demanding work.

For everyone who has ever spent a holiday watching over the health of others, you were seen. By us, and your grateful patients. Needing care during the holidays can feel especially unfair. Illness or injury at a time meant for rest and celebration can be isolating. The fact that someone is there, ready to help, explain, treat, and reassure, matters more than most people realize. It’s a reminder that even during the busiest seasons, care doesn’t disappear.

This season, we extend sincere thanks to the professionals and teams who continue to show up, the educators who prepare the next generation, the staff who hold everything together, and the families who support their mission.

Healthcare doesn’t take days off but gratitude doesn’t need a schedule. Thank you for all that you give!

I wish you a joyful and safe holiday season. Preferably accident-free. Be careful on those ladders!