When should a student nurse call in sick to clinical?

Nursing Students General Students

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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

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

If you are sick they don't want you there. It doesn't matter what kind of sick.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

ITA. If you feel sick for whatever reason stay home. If you feel ok but have a fever, stay home. People get sick, hospital patients don't need more germs.

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

Be sure you have a doctors note though. I missed 2 clinicals for ligit reasons and was expelled from the nursing program in my last semester. ( I have a disabled child who was ill ) I even had a doctors note. And yes my GPA was fine. I even have 2 letters of reference from 2 of the professors from that program which helped me get into another school. So be sure to check your schools policy regarding calling in sick.:rolleyes:

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We were allowed one missed clinical per semester, which we had to make up. If you missed a second day for ANY reason, you were supposed to have to repeat the clinical. The first day was at your discretion, you could miss for yourself or your child and they didn't ask for documentation. You did have to call in at least two hours before scheduled in time, however. Be sure you check into your school's policy! I was lucky enough to never have to miss. I went in with minor cold symptoms, but never had a fever or stomach virus on a clinical day. One of my classmates was sent home one day for coming in too sick - she still had to make up the hours, but I don't think they held the absence against her. The best course of action is to stay home if you feel ill, for the patient's sake - but make sure it won't get you kicked out of school. If in doubt, call your CI.

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Specializes in Neuro.

We are not permitted to miss clinicals in my program, if you are deathly ill, then you review charts to complete your assessment, if you have a mild illness, then you wear a mask all day.

I don't mind too much. But hygiene plays a big part in preventing illness and transmission of the illness.

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I feel even worse this evening and may have to call in again tomorrow. I'll take the advice of checking my syllabus and calling my clinical instructor first. If necessary I'll just drag my butt in and let her see that I'm really sick.

Thanks gang!

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Ethical thing is not to go.

The practical thing? Well...

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Specializes in 5th Semester - Graduation Dec '09!.

When you have something ridiculously communicable, like pinkeye. Otherwise, I would go to clinicals and have the instructor get a good look at me to see how sick I am, and let them send me home.

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Well, considering how difficult it can be to make up clinical, especially depending on instructors and course coordinators, I personally would go unless I seriously, literally, totally couldn't function. As in throwing up, coughing so intensely and so much that people would assume I have TB (happened this summer when NOT is NS, thank goodness), burning with fever, and having something so rotten that Tylenol/cough syrup/etc. won't even touch it.

As badly as I feel going in sick (never have had to do it for clinical but felt forced to this summer at my nurse aide job), I figure that it is kind of the school's fault for making policy that makes it so difficult and unpleasant to make up clinical that causes the real problem.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

The only clinical day I've missed is part of one day last semester when my glucometer reading was 590, and I was dying from DKA. My instructor sent me home. :p

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I ended up going, hoping to be sent home. No such luck! Fortunately, our school doesn't require making up missed days (for yesterday). Interestingly, my symptoms stayed pretty mild throughout day, but we have incredibly long days on Fridays, starting at 6 a.m. and ending about 4:30 p.m. (Well, it's not 12 hours so I guess I shouldn't be complaining!) My symptoms stayed very mild until the minute post conference was over and then they all let loose with a vengeance, as if sympathetic nervous system held symptoms in check all day and parasympathetic relaxation allowed symptoms to come back!

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