How to handle my call out situation?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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So this is my first post to allnurses so forgive me if its already been asked.

-a little info about me. Im a student nurse first , 20 years old, a cna/psych tech, and i have 2 yrs experience as a cna in ltc and psych. Currently i work in a state psychiatric facility which i love doing, and eventually would like to work in the ed after i finish nursing school next year.

This is my issue. My job knows that i go to school as i have spoken with my rnc about it and everyone including my coworkers seems quite supportive of my decision. The RNC on my ward has told me that she would try to help me with my scheduling if I needed time off in case of clinicals but encouraged me to continue working full time if possible. We recently have gotten a new RNCB about a week ago. Our night shift(my shift) has not had a RNCB in two years but it was no problem as we just used the other two b's to schedule everyone. On Thursday I had picked up an extra shift for coverage per request from the new B. I agreed and worked my eight hours. This was my only day off this week but i picked up. Now I understand it was my weekend to work this fri sat & sun but an unfortunate event happened with my family. My uncle passed away friday night. His brother my mother her sister and me are his only family. I would really like to pay my respects to him although I was not close, it's the fact that he has no family except fo us the reason i need to go. I spoke with my B' about the situation the time it happened two days ago and requested to be off for the funeral. He told me there was only one cna working that night(maybe an attempt to keep me working) I asked my coworker if she was working and she responded as yes, which meant there was not one but two CNA's and he lied.

this morning I asked him if I needed to call out and he responded "for what "and I said "I'm not coming into work tonight I have that funeral to go to like we discussed" he told me "well I guess you need to get some sleep so you can come in tonight ". I've already made arrangements to not come into work, the only policy we have for calling out on a Sunday/weekend is to make it up to next weekend you are off which is fine with me I just needed just one day off. I only call out unless I have a doctors note and I am very sick which is happened four times in the five months I've been there and I was in the hospital. They were forgiving for my situation but with a death in my family seem to not be so. I know most would say it's not immediate family but we are his ONLY family, has no kids no wife no anything. How should I handle the situation as I am scheduled to work tonight?

My solution was to call in on evening shift today and say I had a family death and I wasn't coming in. Not quite sure how that would go because everybody knows how people react when nurses/CnA's call out. And at my work they almost hang up on you or act like they don't want to hear it and try to manipulate you to come in regardless of your situation. I also have school on Monday which is the funeral day but since I work nightsthere would be no way I could work The previous night and go to school without sleep for two days. Not sure what course of action should be taken any suggestions?

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I would go to the funeral. What time is it on Monday though? I also work nights, and if I have something important during the following day sometimes I nap quickly when I get home, and then do what I need to afterward.

As as a side note, if an employee was only there for five months and called out four times, it would be classified as "excessive" even with a note.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

First, I am sorry you are going through the loss of a family member. Only you can determine if you need to go to the funeral. Only you know what your uncle meant to you and your mother.

Unfortunately, calling off 4 times in 5 months is a lot (even with doctors' excuses), so I can see if your work is a bit skeptical about your needing to miss work. I am sorry this skepticism is taking place when there is a legitimate issue.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Four callouts in five months -- with or without a doctor's note -- is a lot. It indicates to management that you are an employee with an attendance problem. Whether or not that is fair -- I don't know your situation and I cannot comment. I do know that I've had four "occurances" in four years, even with cancer and two orthopedic and one gynecological surgery in that time frame. Your family issue and desire to attend your uncle's funeral may be perfectly legitimate, but I can see your management team collectively rolling their eyes and wondering "how many grandmothers does that girl have to bury.?"

Go to your uncle's funeral if it's important to you. But then make an effort not to call out again AT ALL for the next year.

We all know a co-worker who is just one call-out away from being terminated. Don't let it be you.

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Four callouts in five months -- with or without a doctor's note -- is a lot. It indicates to management that you are an employee with an attendance problem. Whether or not that is fair -- I don't know your situation and I cannot comment. I do know that I've had four "occurances" in four years, even with cancer and two orthopedic and one gynecological surgery in that time frame. Your family issue and desire to attend your uncle's funeral may be perfectly legitimate, but I can see your management team collectively rolling their eyes and wondering "how many grandmothers does that girl have to bury.?" QUOTE]

Well put. At my hospital if you call out once a month, that is a huge "no-no." They put you on medical restriction and eventually you can be fired. Even a doctor's note cannot help you. I mean lets face it, it's fairly easy to get a note. Especially with all these walk in clinics around. My job puts all new employees on probation for a year. So if we did have a new worker who called out 4 times in 5 months, they could be let go with out a leg to stand on since they are still in this probationary period.

And to the OP: I get it, people do get sick. It happens. The problem is now when something really crucial comes up like a death in the family, it's now an issue to call in. I hope you were able to attend the funeral.

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.

My hospital did it by occurrences. You could miss 5 days in a row, and it would be one occurrence. You could have 4 occurrences in a 12 month period before you were written up, 6 occurrences and you were terminated. Didn't matter if you had a death, a doctors note or just wanted to play hookey. The only exception was jury duty and FMLA.

If you were hospitalized and subsequently missed 4 shifts because of it, that's different than missing 4 separate days where you were in the ER each time, for example.

I don't know how you handled the funeral situation, but for future reference, as soon as you find out about it, you let your supervisor know the dates you won't be at work, due to a death in the family. You don't ask, you politely inform them you won't be there, and you give as much notice as possible. If they respond with anything but "I'm sorry for your loss", making it seem like you can't have the time off, you say "I will let you know if I find coverage, but I'm sorry, I won't be in". You could always call again the night before to remind who ever is doing the schedule.

Keep in mind, if this kind of thing happens often enough, you'll be in deep doo-doo.

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