Being forced to work while sick

GLORIAmunchkin72 · Jan 18, 2011

At our facility they send people home if they have a fever. Otherwise you work!!

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2011

Sheesh, what about those immune compromised stem cell transplant patient's on your oncology unit?!!! A death sentence? Go figure!

GHGoonette, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2011

If you are caring for patients on chemotherapy I would describe it as criminal. I don't know what recourse is available to you, but in my country it would be a breach of the labor law, as well as cause to report them to the Dept of Health. I would regard it as a case of patient endangerment.

annister · Jan 18, 2011

It's cruel to patients and staff. Had to do it last week with 3 neutropenics with WBC of 0.1!! And gave chemo to another. Felt like a murderer and received no support as I pleaded for a different assignment. Flame me if you must, but even with all the hell I raised, it was made clear my assignment was not negotiable. This kind of total disregard for pt. Well-being is becoming far too common where I work. Some things JUST AIN'T RIGHT!

SlightlyMental_RN · Jan 18, 2011

What are the policies at your work place? At mine, if you call off sick 3 times, you're given a verbal warning, and at the 6th sick day in a calendar year, you're fired. Nice, huh? I remember a nice policy from my old workplace that if you picked up something like 3 unscheduled open shifts, it would cancel one of the sick days, but no such luck at my current employer.

kakamegamama · Jan 18, 2011

Unfortunately this doesn't seem uncommon. It's less about the patient and more about staffing. I was verbally warned at my last job because I had 3 episodes in under a year of missed work--the next step would be a write up then firing if I missed more. Never mind that I missed work those three times due to bronchitis that produced a high fever, inability to breathe, and a cough that could be heard/felt in the next county; my mom died unexpectedly (was I supposed to ask her to die only when I was already absent from work due to illness?); and I threw my back out which meant I literally could not walk standing up straight---about a 45 deg angle was my best--and the doc told me and wrote a note for me to be off work for a minimum of a month. When the nurse manager called me to give me my verbal warning, I submitted my resignation verbally then in writing as soon as I hung up. As I told her, I could not guarantee that my back would not go out again (that was the major issue then) nor could I guarantee that I would work with a fever. I cared enough about my patient population--post op, new moms--and fellow staff to not go in if I had a raging fever. I even requested a modified assignment until my back straightened, to show good faith on my part. The answer was "no". Oh well....

tralalaRN · Jan 18, 2011

Unfortunately this doesn't seem uncommon. It's less about the patient and more about staffing. I was verbally warned at my last job because I had 3 episodes in under a year of missed work--the next step would be a write up then firing if I missed more. Never mind that I missed work those three times due to bronchitis that produced a high fever, inability to breathe, and a cough that could be heard/felt in the next county; my mom died unexpectedly (was I supposed to ask her to die only when I was already absent from work due to illness?); and I threw my back out which meant I literally could not walk standing up straight---about a 45 deg angle was my best--and the doc told me and wrote a note for me to be off work for a minimum of a month. When the nurse manager called me to give me my verbal warning, I submitted my resignation verbally then in writing as soon as I hung up. As I told her, I could not guarantee that my back would not go out again (that was the major issue then) nor could I guarantee that I would work with a fever. I cared enough about my patient population--post op, new moms--and fellow staff to not go in if I had a raging fever. I even requested a modified assignment until my back straightened, to show good faith on my part. The answer was "no". Oh well....

This is just crazy. Is this what this how bad things have become in the nursing world? Would they be treating us like this if there were a nursing shortage, I wonder? Is there recourse for you here? It seems like there should be. I'm appalled.

MissBrahmsRN · Jan 18, 2011

oh my facility makes it clear they care more about staffing than patients. if you miss work for 3 days in a row you are required to provide a doctors note saying that you are well enough to come back to work and then you are written up, per policy. i'm a night shifter and many times it can mean going to the urgent care or ER for a doctor's note. it goes on your record as "an event" and you can get fired for 2 of those in a year (rolling 12 mos, not calendar.) the rule is: if you aren't running a fever you are well enough to work.

to be fair, my manager thinks the rule about writing people up is too harsh and doesnt always abide by it. a pal at work was sick for a week then 2 weeks later her mother died unexpectedly and the boss was very supportive.

coolpeach · Jan 18, 2011

The way my hospital gets around it is this...."You should go home if you have a fever or are ill", "You should NOT come in if you have a fever or are ill", but "if you get x amount of occurrences (times missed regardless of cause) a year on a rolling schedule you will be terminated."

So they tell you to go home, not come in etc if you are sick which means they are doing whats best for the patient. On the other hand they do not give us any sick days, only PTO days to use as we wish. Each call out regardless of cause or if we have PTO available to use is an occurrence unless its schedule in advance before the schedule is main. After so many its a verbal, then a write up, and then your out of there.

Not to mention Texas is a right to work state. They can let you go for any reason they want or no reason at all as long as you cannot "prove" its was based on race, sex, sexual orientation etc.

coolpeach · Jan 18, 2011

I am a new nurse, and I was shocked when I found out just how badly nurses are treated, and how as a group nurses do nothing at all to put a stop to it. I mean one lone nurse can do nothing but get fired, but nurses in general could do a lot.

That being said I have never seen or heard of a profession that works 12 to 14 hour shifts with only 1 supposed 30 minute break off their feet, and usually your frowned upon if you are able to take that.

I remember seeing a story on the news about a lady who worked for some company (Not a nurse) a few years ago. She wasn't allowed time outside of her lunch time to go to the bathroom, and often pee'd in a cup (I think she drove a truck or something). The world was shocked that in an 8 hour period she did not have more breaks and things were changed. As nurses they don't even give us a cup.

I hear all of this double talk coming out of corporate butt about patient safety while all the while you are pretty much forced to work sick, given more patients per shift, more duties, more paperwork, told to finish it all before you leave, but not to get overtime or you will be written up, but to slow down, but to finish everything, but by the way here's more, but don't forget to take your lunch, but if you stay over you will be written up, if you don't finish you will be written up, and by the way here's more, and please remember patient safety.

And all the nurses I work complain (mumble under breath), and do nothing. I am staying my two years for experience, another degree (no choice as I have student loans, bills, and cannot afford to get next degree on my own), and then I am leaving hospital work unless things have drastically changed.

And its sad because I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 4, and patient care was all I ever wanted to do.

nicurn001 · Jan 18, 2011

I thought we worked for the healthcare industry , interesting how management , doesn't appear to care about our health , or our patients condition ( if they get our contagious illness ).

The only concern is they have a body dragging around the unit . I'm sure on some units even if you dropped dead they would write it up as an occurence and if you had enough terminate you on the spot !