No Coverage for Sick Days

Specialties School

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What would you do... if you are too sick to work, but there is no one to cover your shift?

I am the School Nurse Specialist for an elementary school. I have 2 diabetic students that must have their insulin administered by an RN, which means when I am sick, an RN has to cover for me. The high school RN is cross-trained for my position, and in the past has covered for me while the district RN sits in for her. No problem, except that the district RN is chronically running late and often behind on her reports, so today she can't fill in at the high school because ________ (insert incomplete project that is due today here).

I am a disaster. I have been sick since Friday night, took Monday and Tuesday off, and returned yesterday (Wednesday) because there was no coverage. Yesterday I tried to leave early but was so swamped I ended up staying late. I'm back today, with a promise that someone will be here to cover for me by noon.

I have had a telephone appt with an RN, and could get an MD excusal note (but would have to drive to the nearest Kaiser for it, which is 1 hour away). Still doesn't solve the coverage issue....

Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health, Home Care.

I know this isn't helpful at all, but it's not really your problem. You are legally allowed to be sick. You must report to someone up the food chain (district nurse?). Coverage is their problem as long as you are sure they realize it's needed.

Remember you are a hazard to staff and students when you come in sick. In my state, insulin can be delegated and we have at least two people trained in every building to cover this exact issue. Good luck with a resolution!

I know this isn't helpful at all, but it's not really your problem. You are legally allowed to be sick. You must report to someone up the food chain (district nurse?). Coverage is their problem as long as you are sure they realize it's needed.

Remember you are a hazard to staff and students when you come in sick. In my state, insulin can be delegated and we have at least two people trained in every building to cover this exact issue. Good luck with a resolution!

Thank you! I have always been one of those people that just torments myself over having to call-in or leave work due to illness, probably because of the many times while working in food service that I received a guilt trip over it (I think they assume someone young only calls in sick when they're hungover).

The trouble now is that I am not healing because I am not getting the rest I so desperately need. I am up all night coughing, and mornings are absolutely miserable. By the time my boss calls around lunch to ask how I am doing I have pounded enough coffee to feel somewhat alert, and the morning "ickies" have worn off a bit, so I feel deceptively better and overly optimistic. I know that today, like yesterday, dinner time will roll around, and I will spend the next 12 hours coughing until I gag. Only today I have the added bonus of menstrual cramps! Joy!

Also, Kaiser advice was a "wait and see" attitude, because I am improving (ever so slowly).

Specializes in kids.

And what would they do if you wrapped your car around a tree?.....please don't!! But they would make a plan.....it took me a LONG time to really believe that.

Take care of yourself!

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

they have subs for me and have already gone as far as going to an outside agency (and paying through the nose) and if push comes to shove and i had to leave emergently my principal and I discussed that I would just shut and lock my door and a true 9-1-1 emergency would be handled just that way.

I only work 3 days a week for a total of 24 hours. They must find coverage for me and I have 11 campuses. There really are no full-time nurses out here. I've heard the East Coast has them though . . amazing!

Right now I'm lucky and have one diabetic 1st grader whose mom comes 3 days a week. We hired another nurse to cover Mon/Fri when I don't work. Mom MUST come in to administer insulin if one of us gets sick.

No delegation in CA.

Specializes in family practice and school nursing.

SAme issue here. meds must be given by an RN in my state. The only exceptions are epipens and glucagon that can be given by anyone trained. Per state law students can be self directed to take their own meds under the supervision of a staff member if the parent, nurse, and prescribing doctor feel thay are self directed. However in the school I work in most of the kids have special needs, get alot of meds, and are not at all self directed. So if I am out sick they must find subs. This is really hard sometimes and we have also had to hire agency nurses. Needless to say I am rarely out. We also run into issues with field trips, they have to find another sub to either go on the trip or stay back and take care of the school while I go on the trip. Parents may go on the trips to administer meds but if they can't we may not excluse the students from thre trips. Unfortunately I still haven't learned how to be in 2 (or more) places at the same time!

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