Call-ins

[Love-A-Nurse]

how often do you call in to say you won't be in to work? do you feel guilty or not? how many hours prior to your shift are you suppose to allow for before calling off?

[lever5]

Cheerfuldoer,

I got that paycheck thing going to!

[PsychoRN]

I haven't called off in over 8 years. Where I work our vacation leave and sick leave are combined into personal leave. So if I don't call in sick I get more vacation time.

We are required to call in 4 hours before our shift begins.

[nimbex, RN]

We have the standard two hours prior shift to call in sick... Oddly enough I usually come in sick yet I will take a mental health day on occasion.

We can call off 6 times in a rolling 12 month period, on the 7th time it's a verbal, 8th a written, 9th a second written and 10th suspension.

But if you go 6 months without a call out, you drop one.

[indeed]

Where I work, it's also the standard 2 hours before the shift begins. Only, after 4 call offs you get a verbal warning, 5 another verbal, 6 a written and so forth...all of them with "counselling." I personally think this is a little odd. But after 12 months, it's "reset."

Indeed.

[Mkue]

hi, i'm wondering what happens when someone "calls-in".. does the unit call someone else in or work without a replacement?

i'm just curious, maybe it depends on what area you work in.

[Love-A-Nurse]

originally posted by psychorn

i haven't called off in over 8 years. where i work our vacation leave and sick leave are combined into personal leave. so if i don't call in sick i get more vacation time.

we are required to call in 4 hours before our shift begins.

welcome! wow! do you get a bonus for having such a "track" record?

[Love-A-Nurse]

originally posted by mkue

hi, i'm wondering what happens when someone "calls-in".. does the unit call someone else in or work without a replacement?

i'm just curious, maybe it depends on what area you work in.

where i am, it all depends. if the census is low, they don't.

[nurseratchett29]

Originally posted by nimbex

We have the standard two hours prior shift to call in sick... Oddly enough I usually come in sick yet I will take a mental health day on occasion.

I used to do this==I am rarely sick but when I am I usually go in anyway and I used to take mental days on occasion==I now work in a hospital that has BTO==benefit time off. I get a flat number of days off to be used for all absences. I have to take the holidays that our practice is closed as BTO but anything else is up to me. I find it beneficial to schedule my mental health days now so that I don't have to feel the guilt. Of course, I'm about the only one who does this==We have one nurse that calls in sick about once every other week (usually Monday or Friday) and a medical asssistant who has been there for 31/2 months and has been out at least 8 times (we can't use any benefit time until we've been there 90 days unless the manager approves it. If we have left over time, every six months we can sell the time back to the hospital and get the $$$$. Time is more valuable than money to me so I will be making sure that I take mine!!!!! I currently have 46 hours banked and I just took 4 days off in June!!!!Not to shabby.

[ohbet]

When I call in I feel horrible guilt,guilt that keeps me up late at night, guilt that is oppressively agonizing.

Its this guilt that takes me to confession , where Im resolved of my sin, which makes me one with self,the world and God, allowing me to go one with my life

[eldernurse]

Thank-you, finally someone who answered truthfully. Whenever a nurse calls off, they are basically screwing the rest of their co-workers. Management does not try very hard to replace you. Therefore, your co-workers shoulder more responsibility. I feel horribly guilty. I only call off when coming to work would endanger my patients. I thank God that I am healthy for the most part.

[RyanRN]

Ohbet and eldernurse, perhaps you should try to re-focus that guilt to where if really belongs - in the administrations lap and off your shoulders. By any stretch of the imagination good leadership and managment should have the staffing necessary to keep their business running efficiently with the appropriated number of nurses available (or alternate means - agency). You have absolutely NO reason to think this is YOUR problem. Your job is being done, they should do theirs.

[Q.]

At the hospital we were required to give 4 hours notice prior to your start of the shift for call-ins. If need be, we could call in the nurse on call to work in those scenarios.

At the clinic, I start at 0900 and I should call in by 0730 to my manager at home or page her; she then will call for float pool help, however, there has been no float help so my staff would just work without me.

I have called in 1 time at my clinic in the last year and a half, and that was to finish a major project for school. I felt no quilt.