Venting about a CNA calling in sick...GRRR!

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I normally have an office type, pencil pushing, computer-type job. I do work the floor once a month because #1, I like to and #2, one of the nurses can't work weekends for some reason. We have worked short every weekend that I have worked for about the last six months...it is rare for us to work short, but we seem to be doing it a lot more lately.

So...last night I went to bed at 7:00 PM...I was tired and grouchy and my family was gone! :) I woke up today, looked at my cell phone, and found a text message from one of the aide that is scheduled for tommorw telling me she won't be in becasuse she is sick. I called the facility and found out she did not call them...I wonder what she wanted me to do about it from home.

The nurse I talked to at the facility thinks we need to write this up as an unexcused absence. I'm just not sure. I can understand being sick and not wanting to talk to anyone or not being able to talk because of a really sore throat or something, but the text message thing really has me confused.

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I assume there are set procedures to call in and that this particular CNA HAS called in before to the facillity, if new she/he may not know the procedure? What if you hadn't woken up in time to call in before the shift that would have been unexcused?

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You can always have a dialogue about it with her. That way you'll have it in writing that she was again informed about proper call-out procedures.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

Who in their right mind would text a coworker saying "sorry, i won't be in." without telling the floor? I would say sorry about it, when I called...but my work is work...not my personal life...

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She should have called the facility ... someone is there 24/7. You work for the facility, she works for the facility.

In my facility, she would have been written up. The P&P of my facility is that YOU must call, not your husband, son, daughter, ... Also, three unexcused absences in the last preceding 12 months results in termination of employment.

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Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.
She should have called the facility ... someone is there 24/7. You work for the facility, she works for the facility.

In my facility, she would have been written up. The P&P of my facility is that YOU must call, not your husband, son, daughter, ... Also, three unexcused absences in the last preceding 12 months results in termination of employment.

I agree. Every facility I've ever worked at, you had to call and talk to the on-call at least 2 hours in advance of an absence, barring a true emergency, and you had to do your own dirty work, not your S/O, kids, parents, whatever.

A text message would never fly as a call-in at ANY job, especially since chances are good that the person responsible for making sure that shift is covered is not going to see a text message until it's too late to arrange any kind of coverage. That would be considered a NC/NS, which would result in a summary termination in at least one facility I worked at.

Why is everyone so obsessed with text messaging nowadays?

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In my facility, she would have been written up. The P&P of my facility is that YOU must call, not your husband, son, daughter, ... Also, three unexcused absences in the last preceding 12 months results in termination of employment.

That isn't always reasonable. I woke up one morning and just couldn't talk...all I could do was sort of squeak. My husband had to call in for me. If he hadn't the charge nurse probably would have just hung up on me thinking I was a kid making prank calls. :)

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

inexcusable- what if ur cellphone wasn't with you - being repaired or whatever- an SMS is not an accepted form for this. She knows she wouldn't like to come to work and find out that she is working short- the hard way-

You must send a clear message that this was done with poor lack of judgment.

I wouldn't write her up this first time but make it clear that you will if she does it again.

The reason she should have called the floor and speak to the nurse in charge is to let them find a replacement. The way she did it precluded that ability.

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Specializes in AC, ER, Corrections, LTC.

I would check your policy....most facilities I've worked with require the employee (not family member) to call the facility AND speak with the charge nurse. Equipment could fail...what if you had the device turned off...

I would explore your H/R policy.... if it was not followed your answer is there. Unexcused call outs or excessive absenteeism drags down morale of other staff and causes great disruption to the organization. I think texting you at home is quite inappropriate, unless this is the way these situations are handled in your organization.

A "funny" story....I am the DON at our small facility and happened to be at our facility late one Friday evening working. The telephone rang at 9:30pm, it was a per diem C.N.A. that was due in to work at 9:45pm she was very surprised to hear me answer the phone. She was calling in sick, I probed her a bit more as we had problems with call outs and this gal in the past. Our policy requires staff to call in 2 hours in the advance of scheduled shifts. In the end, she was out "sick". I was able to cover her with one of our evening shift staff who agreed to stay over until 2am and a day shift staff member who agreed to come in early at 2am.

I left to drive home when I noticed the staff member who had called out drive by our entrance. HMMMMMM....I decided to follow her.....to the local bar. I followed her in and had the bartender buy her a beer, waved and left.

I fired her Monday morning... multiple unexcused absences. When she was removed from our schedule the rest of my C.N.A. staff sent me flowers.

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.
I would check your policy....most facilities I've worked with require the employee (not family member) to call the facility AND speak with the charge nurse. Equipment could fail...what if you had the device turned off...

I would explore your H/R policy.... if it was not followed your answer is there. Unexcused call outs or excessive absenteeism drags down morale of other staff and causes great disruption to the organization. I think texting you at home is quite inappropriate, unless this is the way these situations are handled in your organization.

A "funny" story....I am the DON at our small facility and happened to be at our facility late one Friday evening working. The telephone rang at 9:30pm, it was a per diem C.N.A. that was due in to work at 9:45pm she was very surprised to hear me answer the phone. She was calling in sick, I probed her a bit more as we had problems with call outs and this gal in the past. Our policy requires staff to call in 2 hours in the advance of scheduled shifts. In the end, she was out "sick". I was able to cover her with one of our evening shift staff who agreed to stay over until 2am and a day shift staff member who agreed to come in early at 2am.

I left to drive home when I noticed the staff member who had called out drive by our entrance. HMMMMMM....I decided to follow her.....to the local bar. I followed her in and had the bartender buy her a beer, waved and left.

I fired her Monday morning... multiple unexcused absences. When she was removed from our schedule the rest of my C.N.A. staff sent me flowers.

Similar thing happened to me- the CNA had a whole bunch of excuses- I started to give her the worst shifts till she just stopped showing up and THEN I fired her for multipe unexcused absences. Today it is so easy to get a doctors note for no reason....We have one RN who is always sick with doctors notes on every holiday . She has yet to work a holiday shift in at least 10 years, (from before I was onboard) and she wonders why she hasn't moved up the ladder. ... But she T.L.'s the management like crazy and they love her so they don't understand why she is still staff and not charge nurse. They buy all her sob stories and excuses even when she's caught!!!

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