When should a student nurse call in sick to clinical?

[On The Way]

Hi, Are there recommendations for when a student nurse should call in sick to clinical (ICU or Med Surg)? For example, a fever of a certain amount? Constantly running nose and uncontrollable sneezing? Headache that prevents clear thinking?

Thanks for any tips you can give.

Michael

[86toronado, BSN, RN]

At my school: never.

If you miss one, you pay $80 to make it up, and if you miss 2 you are out of the program. This includes being more than 15 minutes late, so with weather in upstate NY being unpredictable as it is, you better believe I'm going in no matter what my symptoms are. With my luck, the week after I call in sick, there will be a snowstorm, I will get stuck in it, and get kicked out of my program!