Calling out sick

Batman24 · Sep 1, 2008

If I'm sick I will call out. I'm not going to go in coughing all over my patients and co-workers and getting them sick or sicker. Ditto for the runs and vomiting. I'm of no use to anyone in those states anyway. I don't call out all too often but when I need to do so I no longer feel guilty. If I'm sick I'm sick.

If someone needs a mental health day every once in a blue moon that's fine with me. Better to call out then come in stressed out and exhausted and put patients, the hospital, and your license at risk.

Employers need to realize we are human beings and not robots. We get sick like everyone else. And we don't get paid for sick days we don't use at the end of the year so people are wising up and using them more now. Can't blame them for that.

imanedrn · Sep 1, 2008

There is nothing wrong with calling in sick. Our job is physical and there are things that can happen to us in which we can't work but in other professions could such as a sprained ankle, stitches on your hand, horrible cough. We can't be hacking all over and taking care of patients and sharing the phone with co-workers. On the other hand there are people who seem to be "sick" a lot. Our management tracks patterns. Such a those that call in sick on Fridays or Mondays to get a long weekend. But at my work unless they are getting close to their limit of occurrences in a year(ending June 30th) there is nothing management can do. Our hospital tracks occurrences not total days. If you call in sick 2 days in a row that is one occurrence. If you call in sick Monday and feel better Tuesday and workand feel bad again on Wednesday and call in sick that is two occurrences. So therefore a lot of people just call in sick on the Tuesday just to be sure. Also there is a rise in sick days as the end of that year approaches(June 30th), people want to get their allotment in. But again nothing management can do.
The staff without benefits tend to have fewer sick days because if they don't work they don't get paid.

I'm in this boat :sniff:

I've always had problems with upper & lower respiratory infections (nasal, pharyngeal, and bronchial). I used to get a resp infex about 4 times a year. Since I've started working in hospital (Jan 08), that occurrence has increased dramatically. I've called out sick due to respiratory infections FIVE times in only SEVEN months. I know that's WAY too much, but I don't know what else to do when I'm hacking all over the place, sneezing, coughing, can't breathe (asthma exacerbation w/ the bronchitis), have a headache, am exhausted, and -- worst of all -- am TRULY concerned about the SAFETY of my patients because my brain just doesn't seem to be working right when I'm THAT sick.

I KNOW I'm putting my co-workers in a bind when I call in sick, and I feel like a total @r$|= because of it. Not to mention the fact that I'm a new grad, and, on a personal note, this can't look good on my employment record.

I spoke to my PCP about it (in addition to several quick care docs). My PCP suggests (as I'm sure you've all heard before) that the first year in hospital is the most grueling on the immune system. I also have a slew of other health problems (that I keep comfortably in check, fortunately), so he suggested that the overall stress on my immune system is causing these more frequent resp infections. Not to mention the fact that I work on an infectious disease unit! :down: Although I've yet to get one of the common I.D. infections (MRSA, VRE, C dif, or acintobacter), he suggested that the simple exposure to all the infections could be hampering my immune system. Also, every time I get a resp infection, the presentation is IDENTICAL -- every since I started getting this particular type about 15 years ago. Also, on a side note, I don't smoke, I eat relatively healthfully, and I take a daily multivitamin. I also used to exercise regularly, until I started getting sick so frequently.

So... back to square one, where I still feel like a total @r$|= because of it... I can only hope to "grow out" of the constant, recurrent infections VERY soon! :bluecry1:

uscstu4lfe · Sep 1, 2008

My sick time is considered my paid time off. 2x a year we are allowed to "cash out" the PTO with a check, or we can keep it for when we're actually sick. I know that if I didn't have a cash out option, i'd be using it because that's what it's for.

babydoll99_99 · Sep 1, 2008

We have to use PTO for sick time for 24 hours before our EIB (extended illness bank) kicks in. It is the hospitals way of advertising paid sick time and not actually giving it, because really, apart from extenuating circumstances who is sick for more than 24 hours of work time with a regular illness. That being said, because it is my vacation time that I am using I really don't feel bad taking an unplanned day off here and there for whatever reason I deem fit. They don't feel bad when they call me off for low census when I really need the money now do they? I don't call out excessively and 90% of the time when I do i am really sick and have to go to the doctor. If though I had something that was really important to me come up and I need to take a day for it, I will. That simple. I also don't get mad at people that call out and question whether or not they are really sick like our profession as a whole sometimes does.

lucky1RN · Sep 1, 2008

If you're sick, then by all means, stay home. I understand all the dangers to self, patients, and co-workers from people working when they're ill.

However, I object to this whole "mental health day" business. The way I see it, once the schedule is posted, you have committed to be at work on your scheduled days. If something comes up, and you need time off when you're scheduled, then it's your responsibility to find a replacement.

I hold myself to a pretty high standard and just wouldn't feel right leaving my co-workers in a lurch because I woke up in a bad mood. Don't get me wrong, I feel no loyalty to the the hospital and couldn't care less how my absence would affect management. But, I know that one less nurse on a shift means higher nurse-patient ratios. My co-workers will have to work harder, faster, and at a higher risk for making mistakes. Working short leaves the unit morale low which will ultimately affect me and how happy I am with my job.

I am lucky that I am very healthy and RARELY get sick. But I think if I was the type of person who got sick all the time, or was susceptible to stress-induced "illness", then I would just work part-time or PRN so I wouldn't have to be breaking my commitments all the time.

One more note...I think organizations that pay people to be sick are only encouraging people to call off. Time off should be flexible...you should be able to use it for whatever you want...illness, vacation, etc. If I knew I would lose money by not taking sick days, I would be a lot more tempted to call out unnecessarily.

nurseby07 · Sep 1, 2008

When I worked in the hospital I was sick, either mentally or physically at least once a month. I am ashamed to admit it but we had pto, and resource pool to happily fill our spots. Night shift killed me, day shift killed me.

I am EXHAUSTED today, but it's home health exhausted. It did cross my mind to call in, but in 5 months, I never have. I can make it through my morning visits and be sick at home, in the afternoon.

Rnandsoccermom · Sep 1, 2008

I went to work Sat. night with a migraine, it got worse around 5 am and I vomitted several times-very acid.

By the time I left, I could not swallow. Went straight to the ER where they xrayed my neck etc...Finally they called my ENT, the acid in my stomach was so bad that it irritated my throat enough to make it swell. I did not go to work Sun. night.

Three weeks ago, I fell off my bike on a gravel path and ripped the skin off of my right thumb and spots on both hands. I did not go to work that night either-open sores on both hands.

Sometimes things just happen, you can't control them. I went to work with a migraine as it was and look what happened! I don't care what they say OR if they write me up!

tencat · Sep 2, 2008

We won't call off because our coworkers depend on us. What is wrong with this? Nothing is wrong with supporting one another, but if it's going to put our coworkers in a bind, something is wrong with the SYSTEM, not the individual who calls off (if they are not abusing it at any rate). Rather than get all mad at our coworkers who call off, why don't we demand that management fix the bigger issues at hand?

infantRN · Sep 2, 2008

My thought on this subject is that people need to mind their own business. The hospital allocates PTO, and has a no fault policy in place. There are not sick days per say but PTO. I do not have a problem with people calling in for whatever the reason may be because it is their PTO to use however they choose. I am not the one to tell them if they are sick enough or not to come to work, no matter what the sickness or reason may be. I have worked short due to people calling in and you know what I don't complain about it I do the best I can; the hospital needs to have resources in place to handle these situations.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Sep 2, 2008

What I hate more than a call in is when a staff member gets an assignment they are not pleased with and find a reason to go home. You know the type-the drama queens who want everything their way or no way. That is worse, because it usually happens once the assignment is already done and we have placed in our minds how to organize and prioritize the day. Now, THAT sucks. I am not talking about legitimate emergencies, such as significant others, family or children getting ill, but just feeling that you can walk out because you don't like it. This can happen for days on end for some people. In that case, I would rather that the person just stayed home to begin with.

BinkieRN, BSN, RN · Sep 2, 2008

Is it just me or does anyone else think that the people missing work for "illness" is completely over the top.

Yes, and especially when they're seen out having lunch, shopping or at the pool and they don't get in any trouble because by lunch time they were feeling better....hmmmmm :down:

BinkieRN, BSN, RN · Sep 2, 2008

My thought on this subject is that people need to mind their own business. The hospital allocates PTO. There are not sick days per say but PTO.

They turn into sick days when the co-worker calls and says they are too sick to work and it chaps my hide when they call in and lie about being sick. I have called in needing a mental health day and was honest about it. :up: