Call in sick, or risk getting patients sick?

[stelarRN]

My boss reamed me for calling in sick for my shift tonight. I had the flu last week (called in 2 shifts), felt better, went back to work, and now have a respiratory thing going on, so I called in. My thought process is, why put a sick nurse on the floor if there can be a replacement who is healthy and won't be coughing, fever, congestion, etc. all over the place.

What would you do? I still think I did the right thing. Seems like a no-brainer to me, but now I feel guilty.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I have been sick multiple times these past few months. Part of it is severe sleeping problems dragging my immune system down again, and the other part is nobody ever calling out sick. The danged respiratory thing I had over Christmas, around the beginning of February, and again last week mutates as it goes through the whole unit. It changes just enough to reinfect us. This current run I have been sick for a week and a half. I totally lost my voice for all of last week and I was running a fever over 101 for five days. At any given time, there are at least four people on each shift who look like they are half dead.

We are allowed three call outs a year and after that we go into disciplinary action. If we call out two days in a row, that counts as two call outs. No one dares to call out. I personally do not call out unless there is something that is a physical barrier to me providing care going on, i.e. constant vomiting and diarrhea. I just wear a mask at all times otherwise.

I hate coming in to work sick, but I do have a mortgage. If I had called out all of the days I worked sick, I would have lost my job a long time ago.

[tjmrn]

I agree with others who have said if you're not able to perform at your best, you should call in.

As a patient, especially a post~op patient, I would not want my Nurse attending to me if she/he were sick.

As an RN receiving assignment on your scheduled shift, I would not want the burden of your coming in sick, taking assignment , then leaving mid shift, causing added burden to the rest of the staff.

Likewise, it is easier to cover the shift if staffing issues are known ahead of time.

Your administration may require a Dr's note if you call in a number of days in a row.

If fever is the criteria for an excused absence, then call in and say you're running a fever. Nothing else needs to be said.

Never feel guilty for calling in. But always cover yourself if you do. I was fired for "excessive absence". I had one day over their designated number in a period. Even though I was per~diem, was not guaranteed hours nor did I receive any benefits. They used it to terminate me because I was calling attention to unsafe staffing practices. (But that's another story.)

[OCNRN63, RN]

I know this is an old thread, but still. As an aside about your dilemma: Lots of people (including nurses who should know better) think "strep throat" means "really bad sore throat." Most of those are viral, not actual strep(tococcus). You can't call it strep(tococcus) unless you had the rapid-test for strep done. And if you did, you have data to support your being out. Not to say you shouldn't be out with a bad viral sore throat, but let's be accurate about this.

How do you know s/he didn't have the rapid strep test?

[Guest03/15/15, BSN, RN]

Our hospital gives out points for every call-off dispite the reason. We have no "point-free" sick days. Even if we come to work and we leave partly thru shift - still get points however if you made it at least half way thru your shift - you'll get less points. Even then you, and only you, must find someone to cover the rest of your shift before you leave. Oh, I've yet to see anyone get "sent" home for being sick.

I will always go to work unless I have intractable vomiting or diarrhea. I have no choice.