Calling in sick over a cut finger?

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

Late last night, I sliced a small piece off of my middle finger! I was supposed to work today (direct patient care RN) but called in sick last night as my job requires me to come into contact with a lot of yucky stuff and I don't know how I can wash my hands and keep the wound dry??

For smaller cuts I have used liquid band-aid and tegaderm and they were OK, but wouldn't work this time. I hate to call in sick when I otherwise feel fine (waste of PTO)! Has anyone had a similar experience? Any ideas?

13 Answers

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Consult with your manager and probably, your Occupational Health Nurse and see how they want you to handle it. That's what they are there for.

Did you have a doctor's note? Otherwise it might not fly with your manager. Or, you might want to talk to your folks in employee health and see what they say. I know I've went to work with various cuts on my hands, keeping them covered, and yes, handwashing was a problem. One thing I did was double-glove the injured hand where the dressing was, and use waterless hand sanitizer, as I could keep it off the dressing. I've also used duct tape over a dressing to keep it dry while at work. It worked pretty good, looked awful weird, but it worked.

Specializes in mental health, military nursing.

They actually make individual finger shields (they look like condoms, frankly)- a lot of kitchen facilities have them for the same reasons you describe, so that the wound doesn't contaminate or get contaminated by anything else. Next time, I'd check with dietary and see if you can bum a few.

Otherwise, hope you enjoyed your day off! If it was just one day, don't feel guilty about it.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I think you did the right thing. Would be off longer if you got it infected

I burned one of my hands pretty good one time and went for medical treatment. The doctor gave me a note to be off for three days and then to keep the burned area covered and free from contamination. My supervisors didn't like the situation but I believe it was in my best interests. The area was painful for several days and I double and triple gloved to try to keep it clean.

I had a similar situation and I wish I would have called off. I slammed a truck door shut and forgot to take my finger out of it. It was getting too close to call off, so I went in to work. It was awefull. I ended up needing to lance the nail.

Another time I had a serious cut and thankfully I didn't need to work for a few days or I would have needed to call off.

They actually make individual finger shields (they look like condoms, frankly).

Growing up, I was blessed to have particularly clueless parents. I worked in a kitchen when I was 16 and they had those little "finger cots" that do look like tiny condoms. I had cut myself, left one in my pocket (I grabbed a few extra) and it went through the wash.

My mom found it, hit the roof, and my parents tried to have an "after school special" meeting with me and my 14 year old brother about "leaving used condoms around." Between the two of my parents, they did not figure out that this thing that fits snugly over your pinkie would not fit on anyone's unit.

Or as my brother put it, "Well Dad, maybe YOU could use that thing, but..."

Specializes in Med/Surg.
Did you have a doctor's note? Otherwise it might not fly with your manager. Or, you might want to talk to your folks in employee health and see what they say. I know I've went to work with various cuts on my hands, keeping them covered, and yes, handwashing was a problem. One thing I did was double-glove the injured hand where the dressing was, and use waterless hand sanitizer, as I could keep it off the dressing. I've also used duct tape over a dressing to keep it dry while at work. It worked pretty good, looked awful weird, but it worked.

With most places, doesn't matter if it "flies" or not...a call-in is a call-in is a call-in, and it doesn't matter why. When you call in, it counts as an absence, whether you're half dead or you're playing hooky, so it's up to you how you use those days.

I had a similar situation, OP. Several years ago I slammed my fingertip (index finger) in my car door (brilliant, right?). Door was completely shut, and locked, in fact. Had to dig out my keys with my other hand, and unlock the door, to open it and get my finger out. Went about my business, but later on went to the ER, as I couldn't BELIEVE how much the end of one stupid finger could hurt. They ended up putting a hole in the nail to drain a subungal hematoma, and an xray showed that the last bone in my finger was fractured. Nothing that needed to be done with it, but at least I knew the fracture was there.

I ended up missing a few shifts because of it. Reason being, I couldn't properly cover that finger: I could keep a glove on it, and then double glove for care, but....I couldn't actually CLEAN the glove that stayed on the hand, like you would when you wash your hands! When I took that glove off, I couldn't wash that hand like I normally would. Same with a finger cot. You can't clean that between cares. You can keep putting on a new one, but can you keep washing your hand/finger without risking the integrity of that wound? In my case, my fingernail had a hole in it, and the bone underneath it had a fracture. If I got any bugs in there, it had the potential to get really, really nasty. Osteomyelistis, anyone? They suggested Tegaderms, etc, etc. They suggested hard cast-like material. Again...how was I going to clean that between patients to the equivalent of handwashing? If you can't, you're doing both your patients and yourself a disservice. Don't feel badly about it.

Take the day off and feel better. An infection will keep you out longer.

Never tell your boss or EH or HR anything about your personal business that you don't have to.

Take off if you need to.

I agree totally. When you call in sick, you're sick . . . you don't have to describe your malady. If you had to be off more than two days, then you might need a doctor's note, depending on the policy at your workplace . . . but, all the stuff about "it not flying with your manager" is nonsense because your manager should never know anything about the reason for you calling in.

Specializes in NICU.

Years ago I had a cat bite on my thumb which had to be sutured. Instead of work that night, I had to go to ER. I was told I could not work with a wound like that on my hand and I was off work for over a week.

You can now buy Band Aid brand dressings which will stay on for more than one day. I can't remember the name, but they come in several different sizes, including Finger and Toe size and Blister and also bigger ones. They help with healing, you have to apply to dry sking and they really do stick on. Much better than Tegaderm! I've found them at Target and regular drug stores, but not at Walmart.

Thanks for the advice. I did not go to the ED last night because there was nothing to stitch up but maybe I will go to urgent care this am as it is pretty nasty. As much as I hate it, I think calling in sick was the best thing to do--I'll try to enjoy it :) I will be stocking up on finger shields and duct tape to use over the next couple weeks. Great ideas. Thanks!

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