Calling in sick...what are your facilities policies?

[maxcat]

Just curious-I'm currently a CNA (and in nursing school) and am working very part time at a LTC facility to keep my foot in the door there.

what are the expectations from your facility, if you are sick? Do you get the hairy eyeball if you call in sick? (assuming a legitimate illness...) What if you have a bad cold? Are you expected to show up no matter what? Or are do they honestly not want you there, spreading your illness around... Do they require a doctor's note?

I'm just wondering... I just had to call in. I have had a horrendous cold all week, and now have laryngitis-no voice at all. I called in. I'm going to the doctor in an hour too, so if I need a note, I can get one. I never call in, and I feel guilty. I don't know why... people call in for lesser reasons all the time.

Anyways, just wondering how the more seasoned nurses cope with working and being ill, themselves. Sometimes I get this vibe that although nurses take care of the sick, that we are not allowed to be sick ourselves. That you are letting your coworkers down...that sort of thing.

[DizzyLizzyNurse]

I earn my sick time and don't feel guilty using it when I need it. I rarely call in so I don't feel bad when I do. Especially, like you said, when others call in for nothing and all the time.

[maxcat]

I guess I am feeling bad because I think it will be viewed as "calling off"...not sure. I don't have sick time accrued, because I am so part time (like, 2x a month now). I was working more frequently before, then took a long eave of absence because of my school schedule. I'm now just starting back. So I feel like I don't have enough "credibility" built up, or something (esp. with so much turnover among the other CNAs, nurses, etc...).

[DizzyLizzyNurse]

Meh. Don't worry so much what others will think. If you call in very infrequently, that will speak for itself.

[Crux1024]

Meh. Don't worry so much what others will think. If you call in very infrequently, that will speak for itself.

Ditto what was said above. Everyone gets sick, just dont make a habit of calling off. OF course the call off/sick policies vary from place to place. So just make sure your call off fits into their policy to avoid any issues.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

I work in a hospital where we are allowed 5 sick days per calendar year. If you exceed that, you must file for FMLA if you qualify or you must take a verbal warning. If you call out again after the verbal, it goes to written, then to final written, then termination.

I don't call out unless I am actively puking or can't leave the bathroom because the other end is also erupting. I have gone to work sick, I have worked through walking pneumonia, laryngitis, migraines...you name it. It is only when I am truly incapacitated that I don't come to work. It has never been a problem for me because I don't miss many days.

Don't feel guilty about being sick and calling out. You can't help that. Just make sure you are adhering to your facilities policies. Get well!

[maxcat]

I work in a hospital where we are allowed 5 sick days per calendar year. If you exceed that, you must file for FMLA if you qualify or you must take a verbal warning. If you call out again after the verbal, it goes to written, then to final written, then termination.

See, that's exactly why I posted my question... if you get one bout of the flu, another bout of the stomach flu... then you're on to a warning (because the flu won't be covered by FMLA, would it?)... I think that's a bit strict. Nobody should be going to work with walking pneumonia...my dd was diagnosed with that and almost hospitalized herself. I wouldn't want her nurse to also have that, kwim? (not judging you, just saying that nurses seem to get way way less leeway than other professions, in terms of illness, etc...)

[SandraCVRN]

If I am sick I call in, I get so tired of people spreading crud around. Their are the martyrs that come in when they need to be home or hospitalized themselves.

I hate getting sick and possibly my family getting sick because someone thinks the world will end if they miss work. I'd rather be busy than get sick. And what about the patients??

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

We earn 10 hours sick time per month. We are seriously discouraged from using it.

On this issue of needing time off for illness or life's happenings, I think we should seriously be more like Michael Moore portrayed Europe to be.

Don't feel guilty, OP, just be very careful about calling off. How's school going?

[maxcat]

It is going well. It's just part time, so not too bad (yet).

Also, now my daughter is sick (fever, sore throat)...so the childcare arrangements won't work anyways. Ugh.

[-nurse-]

Yikes...5 days doesn't seem like a lot. It generally takes someone a week to recover from the flu. I know most people get 5-6, but it's just something I thought twice about, as we are nurses and going back into the field to care FOR sick people. Ironic. Yet sad.

[meandragonbrett]

It varies from nursing unit to nursing unit. Each unit tends to have it's own culture. Some managers don't want you there if your sinuses are sopped up and other managers don't care if you've got to drag around a garbage can all day to puke in.