"I Don't Care if You are Sick...Come to Work Anyway!"

Last evening I was woring as the charge nurse in my small town LTC (I'm done with MDS...they wanted an RN in the position). Anyway...at about 8:15 PM, the phone rings...I pnder not answering, but we all know that would go over like a ton of bricks, so I pick up. One of the night aides (night shift starts at 9:45 PM) informs me she is sick and won't be able to come to work...she also informs me that she has called "everyone" and no one can work for her. I ask why she waited so long to call and she says that she kept hoping she would feel better, but finally decided it wasn't going to happen. So...per policy (which I honestly disagree with) I tell her she needs to come in and be assessed by a nurse (me) and that she should plan on working anyway...she can wear a mask whenever she has contact with the residents and since nights are quiet (ha ha ha ha ha) she can rest in between lights and rounds. She starts screaming and calling me names and swearing...she also says she is going to sue me and that she will not only have my nursing license, but my house and my car and my savings account (I'm shaking in my Birkenstocks). I again remind her of the policy and she slams the phone down.

About ten minutes later the phone rings again...it is the DON, who says that she talked to the sick CNA and she told the CNA she can come in at midnight so she can get some extra rest...after that she can wear a mask, etc.

I had to stay late to finish some medical records (not my job, but the medical records person quit and I am the only one left who knows the computer system) and when I left at 12:30 AM, the CNA still had not arrived. The CNA that was on duty told me that the night before the sick CNA was calling everyone on the schedule asking them to work for her and that she told her that if she didn't find someone, she would be there, but she would not be happy about it. I didn't remember until I was ready to leave last night that when I pulled into town, I had seen the sick CNA at the local drive-in type burger joint pigging out on burgers, onion rings, and a shake. And...one of the CNAs from my shift remembers seeing the sick CNA in the facility around two in the afternoon and heard her talking on the cell phone saying something like, "Yes I will be there...cough, cough, cough,,,I sound sick don't I?"

And people wonder why so many managers are suspicious when people call in sick.

Personally I HATE the idea that people are expected to work if they really are sick, but I hate the fact that people who just want a night off have a way of getting time off and making things a lot harder for the rest of us.

Thanks for listening!