what would you do?........

care_baer · Mar 22, 2009

It depends on how sick you were. Just a little sore throat or strep. Alot of places don't like you to call in every time you have a cold. Since you have only worked at this place for a month they are probably not very happy, and that's probably why they asked for a doctors note. I need more info on how sick you were to say if I'd have called in or not.

sonomala · Mar 22, 2009

I agree with the prev post. Only you know how bad it was but calling out with just a sore throat when you haven't shown any symptoms at work before, isn't what most employers like. The only call out my ltc accepts with no warning is GI. Anything else if you come in anyway the nurses can take a look and decide whether you should stay. Many times, they've been the ones to insist people go home. But it shows dedication to the job ect ect.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Mar 22, 2009

There's no reason you can't do your job with a sore throat.

yousoldtheworld · Mar 22, 2009

I usually don't call in unless I'm literally too sick to do my job (like if I'm vomiting) or if I'm highly contagious.

I agree with the above posters in that a lot of the issue probably has to do with the fact that you're new. Your first 90 days at a facility or so, they tend to be pretty picky about your attendance and things, as they evaluate what kind of employee you're going to be.

The fact that you're the only CNA they have probably also has something to do with it - when you call in, there's no one to replace you (which doesn't seem to be a very smart setup to me, but, oh well).

I would just explain to him that you weren't feeling up to par and were worried about getting others sick. If you don't get the doctor's note, it's possible that you could be disciplined (written up, a warning, or whatever your specific facility requires). I doubt you'll be "bad mouthed" but you have to remember that the call-in policies are in place for a reason - if we all called in for every little illness, there'd never be anyone around to work. Especially in this job, where you tend to catch every little cold and bug that the residents get.

So, don't stress yourself out about it too much, but I'd advise in the future that you only call in when you REALLY need to. Unfortunately right now, job security is iffy with so many people being out of work and looking (including aides and nurses).

adorblepuppy · Mar 22, 2009

Everytime i was coughing it was like i was gaging while coughing. I had a headache and had been up half the night coughing.

Equinox_93 · Mar 23, 2009

I have been at my job as a cna for about a month. Yesterday i had a sore throat and today it was worse. So i called in. He said well according to policy you need a doctors note. The doctors office is not open on saturday. I have to go to a clinic cause i don't have insurance. I am not sure what he is going to say when i go to work tomorrow. This is a small facilty. It can only house 31 and right now it only has 8. I am the only cna they have. But now i will have to wait til tomorrow and see what he says. He said we would talk about it when i came back. But i can tell you i am not going to put up with him bad mouthing me. Anyway if you were in this situation what would you do. Would you have called out cause you are sick, so you would not get everyone there sick. Or would you have gone in and taken the chance to get everyone sick?

For just a sore throat? I'd have gone in. For what felt like Strep? I'd definately have called in. I'd also have called in if I were too sick to be confident that I would not compromise safety/infection control.

If you were legitimately sick- when you talk to him I'd just say "I understand that it is vital to have adequate coverage on the floor- but I will not risk the safety of our residents or my certification by coming in when I feel that I am too sick to be able to maintain adequate safety and infection control measures."

As for the doctors note- call your doc over the phone- if you have a good relationship with them, they may either be willing to fax you a note or do a walk in for you to grab one without having to do a full visit and copay. Some docs understand how asinine these policies can be in the case of a cold/flu.

Equinox_93 · Mar 23, 2009

There's no reason you can't do your job with a sore throat.

True- but if it's a bad sore throat, it may be strep... Would they want someone on the floor with strep? (I'd hope no one would call off for just a mild sore throat... I mean- if we all called off when we weren't absolutely 100% no one would ever work... anywhere LOL)

bigbadduck · Mar 23, 2009

You could have gone in anyway and asked to see the nurse. Leave it up to them whether or not you were able to work. That's what I would have done.

yousoldtheworld · Mar 23, 2009

Everytime i was coughing it was like i was gaging while coughing. I had a headache and had been up half the night coughing.

Oh, I definitely understand.

I've had things like that myself. I once called in because I had some virus and I was throwing up all night long, and I got written up for calling in. It was my first call in, too. So, I get your frustration, but I also understand why places have to be so strict on attendance...I've never seen a job where people call in as much as in CNA work. Probably because it's physically demanding but also emotionally demanding, and I don't know about you, but when I feel awful the last thing I want to mess with is a demanding resident getting on my nerves. Unfortunately, people who call in constantly have made it more difficult for us when we are actually legitimately ill.

littlenursingmommy · Mar 23, 2009

Like everyone else said...it would depend on exactly how sick you are. Your number 1 priority is to make sure you don't infect your resident. That is what your entire job is based on. What can be treated easily with you may kill one of them, so if I were you, I would rule out strep, and if it's just viral, go ahead and go in. If you don't have insurance, you're in a little bit of a bind.....if all else fails, you can always jet over to the ER and suck it up when you get billed. But if you even suspect strep, do not, I repeat, DO NOT go into work. It's SOOOO not worth the damage you can do to your resident and to your career.

adorblepuppy · Mar 23, 2009

You could have gone in anyway and asked to see the nurse. Leave it up to them whether or not you were able to work. That's what I would have done.

/there is no nurse. this is a very small facilty. We only have 8 residents. The nurse only comes in once a week to check the residents. I still don't exactly understand how that works.