Does anybody else feel guilty about calling off?

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I was wondering if anybody else on here has call off guilt, my husband says I am crazy because of it. I am on light duty and had called off 2 days after sustaining a back injury moving a patient. My manager is great is accommodating with my restrictions so I am one day back to work and now I have 2 sick kids at home with what looks like strep throat, so obviously I will be taking them to the doc tomorrow. Is it ingrained in us in nursing school to feel guilty when missing work or is it just me?

Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

Do I feel bad for my co-workers? Absolutely. Do I feel guilty? No.

If I am genuinely sick or experiencing some kind of emergency, then I have nothing to feel guilty about. I wouldn't want my co-workers to come to work if they were truly not able, especially not just to accommodate me, so I hope they would extend me the same courtesy.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

I totally disagree with places which have a policy which requires Nurses to reveal the reason for their sick call.

If they call, they call.

It's nobody's business why, actually.

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No do not feel guility! I know nurses who got another job and call in sick because they can since they are leaving. What can you do nothing?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

This is why nursing will never be a true profession. A true professional isn't berated for using sick days at his or her own discretion.

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It might be your turn to be off at home, but certainly not at work.

This is when you need a back up plan. Some one else needs to take the kids to the doctor and care for them

No wonder you are feeling guilty . Your job does not revolve around your family life.

Wow.... Speaking as a single parent to a child in preK and as a parent who has also buried a child following "just a GI bug", my duty as mom will ALWAYS trump my duties as a nurse. Does that make me any less of a nurse? I don't think so. Don't agree? Talk to me after burying a child. It's amazing how priorities and perspectives change after life happens....

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Wow.... Speaking as a single parent to a child in preK and as a parent who has also buried a child following "just a GI bug", my duty as mom will ALWAYS trump my duties as a nurse. Does that make me any less of a nurse? I don't think so. Don't agree? Talk to me after burying a child. It's amazing how priorities and perspectives change after life happens....

You're right. I am so sorry for your loss, Jen. Years after I stood with my good friend as she buried her child, she told me that she has always seen her previous life as "before", and her current life as "after". All her priorities and perspectives changed, just like you said. Take care of yourself !

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Specializes in Critical Care.
No do not feel guility! I know nurses who got another job and call in sick because they can since they are leaving. What can you do nothing?

Where I work if you call in after giving notice we are told you will be forfeiting your remaining PTO. Don't know if that is legal, but have never tested them to find out. Know someone who left and came back years later and she told me they withheld her PTO claiming they didn't have to pay out because she hadn't asked for it before leaving. I highly doubt that is legal!

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