Calling in Sick

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When you call in sick, do you think it's fair that they ask you why? I mean, obviously, you are 'calling in SICK'... I called in today because I was basically feeling like crap, and I was a little surprised when the nursing director asked 'well whats wrong?' ( In our hospital we have a sick line, you dont speak to the charge nurse on your unit like in most hospitals I've seen )... Just wanting a little input on this one :)

Specializes in pure and simple psych.

I'm not sure that it is actually a HIPAA violation, as your employer has the right to gather statistical info on infectious diseases, to be aware of epidemic issues. The calls I love are "my wife has cramps" and "my horse has a cold" to "my dog is not well." :smiley_ab

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Does anyone work at a facility that punishes you if you call in sick? Our hospital gives you an occurrence if you call in... 3 occurrences in a year will drop your eval/raise, plus you get a written reprimand. Then if you quit you do not get your sick leave you loose that time... WHY do they give us sick time if they are going to punish us when we use it..I understand if you call in on a weekend, you have to make it up, but this is crazy.

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Specializes in geriatrics & pediatrics.

Sometimes my employers have asked whats wrong and sometimes they don't - I feel if I don't give them at least some symptoms they'll think I'm lying and just want to stay home. Also I would like to hear what everyone has to say about " why do facilities allow you for ex. 10 paid sick days a year but get mad even if you take 5 of them ? " - also " shouldn't 2 sick days in a row count as one incident, I mean after all , If you're truly ill , how often do you feel bad for only one day ?"

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When I call out sick, I like to refer back to those lovely nursing diagnosis, because as nurses, you KNOW we aren't smart enough to make a MEDICAL diagnosis. So when I have sinus trouble, I tell them that I have an alteration in my upper airway clearance, or when I have GI upset, I tell them that I am having an alteration in my fluid balance status, or when I have a headache, I tell them that I am having alteration in comfort, actual pain ........I love to beat them at their own game. When they get all professional ugly and ask if i'm being smart, I like to remind them that according to the State Board of Nursing, for me to make a diagnosis, as a nurse, would be practicing outside my scope. It really burns them. I rarely call out, usually when my supervisor takes the call she just says "okay" and that's it. Her theory is, wheather your colostomy just busted, or your AAA is dissecting, or you just have assitude for the day; you don't want or need to be at work and you need to take a day off.

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I work with someone who NEVER calls in sick. She came in one time on antibiotics, like a modern day "Typhoid Mary". Soon the whole unit was out sick. Management later gave her an " Outstanding Achievement" award for " working many extra shifts when the unit was so short". What is with that crap? SHE was the source of the shortage, never mind the potential and actual damage to the patients she caused.

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Once I read the call in board, and it listed "Posibly has worms" as the reason for absence. That was the end of public recording of reasons for call-ins. However, at one of the hospitals in our system, they have a terrible call-in rate, and the VP of nursing starting calling the people back to inquire as their health, or whatever. That is intimidating and unacceptable-in fact, it is harassment.They should look at WHY they are having so many call-ins instead of trying to force people to lie or prove their illnesses!

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Wow. My hospital seems to be so desperate for nurses, I don't think they say or do anything when nurses (some repeatedly) call in. At a staff meeting several months ago, our med surg director said that the reason they may ask what is wrong when we do call in sick is primarily an infection control issue. She said "please don't feel like we are doubting you- if you're sick, you're sick." Like many of you though- I haven't called in "sick" yet. I've been on the job 5 months, and the only time I called in was because my car broke down 2 counties away and I wasn't able to make it in for the other half of a shift I'd agreed to split w/ someone. ( I got a new car after that! )

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Specializes in HH/LTC/WM.

wow!! LOL....must have never worked with 2 nurses and 1 cna for 100 pt. on a 2-10 and have family members mad because they havent had thier baths yet why your worthless DON is sitting in the office starring at the wall and twidling her thumbs...I can see your point.

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so, as a re-entry nurse, what are are ethics in calling in sick from those of you that take the calls? i realize there is that constant stress of not having enough staff, but if one is ill????? how about not having a hang over from partying but can't sleep and the thought of a wild shift scares the tar out of us, i.e. having to function on one cyclinder for 12 hours? in the unspoken sense, if one calls in sick, should they feel the need to make up the time by working on thier days off? does that make a difference with staffing opposed to being put in all these suspicous files you may or may not have? just trying to get a feel and start off on the right paw. furball

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Specializes in HH/LTC/WM.
Sometimes my employers have asked whats wrong and sometimes they don't - I feel if I don't give them at least some symptoms they'll think I'm lying and just want to stay home. Also I would like to hear what everyone has to say about " why do facilities allow you for ex. 10 paid sick days a year but get mad even if you take 5 of them ? " - also " shouldn't 2 sick days in a row count as one incident, I mean after all , If you're truly ill , how often do you feel bad for only one day ?"

your lucky we dont have sick days they are to stingy!!!!!!!:trout:

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Sometimes my employers have asked whats wrong and sometimes they don't - I feel if I don't give them at least some symptoms they'll think I'm lying and just want to stay home. Also I would like to hear what everyone has to say about " why do facilities allow you for ex. 10 paid sick days a year but get mad even if you take 5 of them ? " - also " shouldn't 2 sick days in a row count as one incident, I mean after all , If you're truly ill , how often do you feel bad for only one day ?"

I totally understand where you are coming from. Based on what I have read in this thread, it seems like many employers think that people can be just like Bruce Willis' character in the movie, Unbreakable, where he never got sick. If an employer offers sick days, then they have no business getting angry when someone needs to use them. Is there anyone out there who has never been ill? I have only had to call out sick three times in the past year, and I haven't gotten in trouble, but many other nurses/CNAs that I know have told me that they get the third degree whenever they call out: "What is the matter with you?" "You're calling out over a headache?" or even "If you call out, we'll be short." I have also heard them tell me that some employers think that they cannot possibly be sick if they showed up for work the day before since they appeared "healthy" that day. I know that some people may claim that they are sick when they are not, but that shouldn't mean that everyone who calls out sick is faking it, and deserves to be interrogated about their illness.

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Specializes in ER, Tele, L&D. ICU.

It is against our union for them to ask us any questions other than "is it work related?" (workers comp reasons). If they press any further~which they rarely do~ I ask to be passed through to our floor union rep. We do have the odd ppl that totally abuse our sick time (we get 120 consecutive days, upon returning for work for 2 weeks it is all reinstated again) but generally, when ppl call in sick they are sick.

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