Contagious CNA showing up for work!!!!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

What a crazy place I work in.:madface::angryfire The night CNA told me that she has a doctor's excuse to not work. She has a temp of 102, has the flu and is contagious and her doctor told her to not go to work. She told the RN supervisor what the doctor said. She told the newly hired CNA to show up for work and to wear a "mask." She strongly hinted to the CNA that she would lose her job if she didn't show up for work. What to do?:madface::madface::madface:

Sounds like the contagious CNA and her co-workers need the protections of a union contract. Apparently their employer needs to be forced to do the right thing.

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I do not understand how anyone can "force" someone to come into work or stay at work.

We aren't slaves.

No one can take advantage of us unless we let them.

I'm not coming to work with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

A simple cold - I'll ibuprofen and sudafed myself and go to work.

We are not the answer to staffing problems. More staff need to be recruited and in order to do so, you have to have a safe and pleasant working atmosphere.

If you have a doctor's excuse, there is no reason on earth to come in to work.

steph

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Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.

I agree if the doctor doesn't want you around immunocompromised people.....DON"T DO IT.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
I do not understand how anyone can "force" someone to come into work or stay at work.

We aren't slaves.

No one can take advantage of us unless we let them.

steph

It totally agree. I'm told told to come in when I call in, I would repeat "I'm too sick to come in" and not come in. If I lose my job, it's not a place I want to work anyway.

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I do not understand how anyone can "force" someone to come into work or stay at work.

We aren't slaves.

No one can take advantage of us unless we let them.

I'm not coming to work with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

If you have a doctor's excuse, there is no reason on earth to come in to work.

Can someone force you to come to work? No. Can someone fire you for refusing to come to work when you're sick? Yes, unless you have the protection of a union contract or work in a state with a law that requires your employer to give you sick days -- and there are very few.

This CNA -- and anyone else without a contract -- is an employee at will who can be fired for any reason at any time. Personally, I preferred the two weeks' paid sick time per year and short-term disability coverage I was guaranteed (at my employers' expense) under my union contract.

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Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.

I agree about the union. I had a supervisor bring up hints in my evaluation I should be considered lucky to have a job after I called in for 3 weeks with 3rd degree burns on my hands and needed silvadine, bandages, and PT. She also commented on my political choice for president.

Grant it never tell co-workers who you are gonna vote for and never try to haul a flaming frypan to the backdoor when you have an oven one foot down...sigh.

Crap happens.

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On the flip side, I've worked under contracts that stipulated the employer had the right to request a doctor's note from employees who called in sick. This provision was virtually never used, unless the employee was suspected of abusing his sick time. I saw one person sanctioned after repeatedly calling in sick and being unable to produce a note. Since the company used progressive discipline, that put an end to that problem. One more violation and he'd have been fired.

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Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.

;);)Working shift work anywhere, regardless of your position is always the pre-requisite for management's attitude of "sucking it up".

We have to call in 4 hours prior to a shift and then give our life story as to how and why we must be out. I have worked while very sick and have learned not to come in if I feel that way-THEY NEVER LET YOU GO HOME UNLESS YOU ARE DYING (maybe)!

At will states can fire anyone without sufficient cause, however, you can bet if I am sick and have seen a physician I would fight that to death. Having a union means nothing.

I work in the ER where the energy level is high, and the patient's are always high maitenance-there is nothing worse than having bronchitis (coughing, no voice and trying to interview a patient or start a line) or gastritis in any form. Personally, I think it stinks that workers infect patients on a daily basis-unfortunately if you are out,there is no one to step up and take your place.

On the flip side, maybe the CNA had no sick time and needed the money or was threatened.

Maisy;)

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Specializes in ALS, LTC, Home Health.

My concern with having to work when contagious is, couldn't that be construed as abuse? By working sick you are jeopardizing the health and welfare of the residents. What would happen if due to being forced to work sick heaven forbid one of the residents became ill and subsequently passed away. Who is going to be held accountable if it is found that the death could have been prevented? In my humble opinion by not working when sick you are standing up for the residents which should be priority number one. Also you are protecting you license or certification.

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Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.

That's ridiculous and downright dangerous. I'm so sorry that happened to those residents! It's a good thing more of the staff didn't get sick, too.

Me personally? If I tell you I'm sick, don't grill me or I'll hang up on you, it's that simple. I always apologize for calling in, because I feel bad that the unit is short, but I don't allow the conversation to turn into an interrogation..and neither should anyone else. Get rude with me (as I had one charge RN do the day my 5 year old was born) and the trouble for you will double. 99% of us don't just call in for the hell of it, and management needs to recognize that there are days when we have to be out legitimately to take care of ourselves.

vamedic4

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Specializes in Med/surg,Tele,PACU,ER,ICU,LTAC,HH,Neuro.

A temp of 102.......I am not only dangerious, I am delirious , and definitely

NOT FUN TO BE AROUND.

Can the truly sick take care of the sick??????.

:eek:

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I couldn't walk with a temp of 102, much less drive to work.

Whenever I'm sick I think about one of my girlfriends, whose kids would go to school sick because they wanted the Perfect Attendance Award.

And I stay home.

Like my friend, there are those fatalists among us who believe that at some point, patients are going to be exposed, no matter how hard we try to protect them.

Think about it. Infected people come in to facilities who shouldn't and people work sick who start out feeling fine and get sicker as the day goes on.

Suppose a dietary aide who comes in feeling OK, manages to get through breakfast just fine, and then starts feeling sick at lunchtime.

He's still contagious the entire day; he just doesn't know it. And how many trays has he touched, how many residents get infected?

What about the visitor who's been sneezing and thinks it's OK to pop in to see Grandma before heading home from work?

Still, if someone comes to work knowing he has a temp of 102, or worse, if the supervisor implies that he could lose his job, it's wrong.

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