Calling out sick

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Sep 2, 2008

I don't call in sick for every little thing. But, have I called in sick for a mental health day? You betcha, and I have no guilt about it either. I know the older generation gets peeved when they hear that, but I've been doing this long enough to know that you cannot worry about everyone else. You have to put yourself first, because that's what everyone else is doing.

Your employer will kick your fanny out the door as soon as look at you. My little niece got a perfect attendance certificate for not missing a day of kindergarten. I'm very proud of her, but I feel no need to have a perfect attendance record at work. I know damn sure the hospital wouldn't even give you a certificate at the bare minimum-the bean counters would probably insist the extra paper would cost too much:rolleyes: And forget about a raise. Monkeys would come flying out of my gluteus maximus before THAT ever happened!

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Sep 2, 2008

My thought on this subject is that people need to mind their own business. The hospital allocates PTO, and has a no fault policy in place. There are not sick days per say but PTO. I do not have a problem with people calling in for whatever the reason may be because it is their PTO to use however they choose. I am not the one to tell them if they are sick enough or not to come to work, no matter what the sickness or reason may be. I have worked short due to people calling in and you know what I don't complain about it I do the best I can; the hospital needs to have resources in place to handle these situations.

ITA, what chaps my hide about nurses and nursing is everyone worried about what everyone else is doing wrong and gossiping about it. Very junior high/high school behavior if you ask me.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Sep 2, 2008

They turn into sick days when the co-worker calls and says they are too sick to work and it chaps my hide when they call in and lie about being sick. I have called in needing a mental health day and was honest about it.

You are fortunate that you are able to be honest. If we called and said that, we'd be facing the wrath of the administrators on the first day back. Or, better yet, some can do it...the favorites can. The rest of us can stew in the dungeon or horrors. That is why most will lie and just say they are sick. :banghead:

bethin · Sep 2, 2008

Is it just me or does anyone else think that the people missing work for "illness" is completely over the top now? I feel old and crochety every day but can count on both hands the times I've called out sick over the past 25 years.

Some of it may be contributed to mental health days, and some (like me) who have a chronic disease that requires hospitalizations and when not hospitalized, I'm home in bed high on phenergan and vicodin so therefor I call in. I absolutely feel bad about it, especially if I know they're busy.

We really don't have a high occurrence of call outs.

Batman24 · Sep 2, 2008

We won't call off because our coworkers depend on us. What is wrong with this? Nothing is wrong with supporting one another, but if it's going to put our coworkers in a bind, something is wrong with the SYSTEM, not the individual who calls off (if they are not abusing it at any rate). Rather than get all mad at our coworkers who call off, why don't we demand that management fix the bigger issues at hand?

You are 100% correct. We have nurses sometimes working sick as dogs because they fear their fellow nurses will be even more inundated with work and they don't want to leave them in a jam. All it does is get the other nurses sick not to mention it isn't good for our patients.

We should all learn to take better care of ourselves and insist our employer get us the help we need when others are out. A nurse calling out ill or needing a mental health day shouldn't result in 8+ patients. It's horrible what some put up with and even worse that we let out employer off the hook. Maybe if more turned down assignment when ridiculously short staffed management would be forced to do something.

We need to hold the right people accountable not the nurse who is using sick time or PTO that they've earned. I bet the CEO, HR manager, hospital attorney, etc. don't feel as guilty as most nurses do. There is a lesson to be learned in that.

ArwenEvenstar · Sep 2, 2008

Is it just me or does anyone else think that the people missing work for "illness" is completely over the top now? I feel old and crochety every day but can count on both hands the times I've called out sick over the past 25 years.

My two cents...I do agree that the level of personal responsibility/reliability/dependability has fallen and people call in way too haphazardly today! However, I also do not think that the opposite is appropriate either. Should one be proud that they have only called in 10 days in 25 years? (no offense OP!) But there is a difference between being dependable and being a doormat. There is a difference between being reliable and being a martyr.

I, for one, see nothing wrong with taking an occasional mental health day, especially if you are someone who is rarely physically sick. Sometimes we all just need a day off. To take care of ourselves...Nursing is a stressful and mentally exhausting profession. Sometimes the caretakers need to take care of themselves.

A close friend of mine is a nurse and she literally never calls in unless she is on death door. She has probably only called in once or twice in 10 years! Really! Yet she is highly stressed out, does not handle full-time work very well, and I worry about her. If anyone should be able to take a mental health day without guilt it would be her!! She NEEDS one now and again - like I said she is very stressed. But no, she would never do that - that would be undependable!! (Gasp!) No matter how I try to explain it to her, she does not get it. There is nothing wrong with calling off 2 or 3 times a year. It is NOT undependable! It's normal! And for her and her situation, I think those days could make a real difference for her - for her to rest and relax.

Like I said above, there is a difference between being dependable and being a doormat, and between being reliable and being a martyr! Well, I got off topic, but thanks for letting me vent about my friend!!

Jules A, MSN · Sep 2, 2008

Should one be proud that they have only called in 10 days in 25 years? (no offense OP!) But there is a difference between being dependable and being a doormat. There is a difference between being reliable and being a martyr.

Lol, no offense taken but I really don't feel that I am being a doormat or martyr for not taking off just because I'm in a crappy mood. :)

If you're sick, then by all means, stay home. I understand all the dangers to self, patients, and co-workers from people working when they're ill.
However, I object to this whole "mental health day" business. The way I see it, once the schedule is posted, you have committed to be at work on your scheduled days. If something comes up, and you need time off when you're scheduled, then it's your responsibility to find a replacement.
I hold myself to a pretty high standard and just wouldn't feel right leaving my co-workers in a lurch because I woke up in a bad mood. Don't get me wrong, I feel no loyalty to the the hospital and couldn't care less how my absence would affect management. But, I know that one less nurse on a shift means higher nurse-patient ratios. My co-workers will have to work harder, faster, and at a higher risk for making mistakes. Working short leaves the unit morale low which will ultimately affect me and how happy I am with my job.

Thank you for replying. I also feel that by agreeing to my schedule I am committed to work unless truly sick. If I want or need a day off I arrange it ahead of time or find someone to switch with me. Whether it is a management problem or not calling out does negatively affect my unit so I avoid it when possible.

dream'n, BSN, RN · Sep 2, 2008

I used to drag myself to work even if I was in pain or sick as a dog (if non-patient care), but I've learned my lesson. A few years ago I had a horrible infection in my tooth and jaw, but because my boss basically threatened me not to leave the department short-staffed, I drug myself in. It was one of the most miserable days in my life. I thought some of my co-workers would pitch in and help me (as I have helped them many times in the past and some certainly weren't busy that day) and not one of them pitched in. Boy was I in for a rude awakening regarding teamwork in that department. Of course it was my fault because I shouldn't have given into the bosses threats and just stayed home. To make a long story short, I left that department and now work in a true teamwork environment that comes together when short-staffed. But I still am very disappointed in my previous co-workers and I learned a big lesson. Now I stay home if I don't feel well and don't feel a drop of guilt because of it.

Scrubby · Sep 2, 2008

When I did my hospital orientation we were told by a nurse manager that taking a mental health day is completely understandable and that the hospital would prefer us to do this rather than come into work feeling flat, stressed out and potentially cause harm to our patients.

I see nothing wrong with doing it, provided it doesn't become a habit. I'm also not ashamed to admit I would take about 3 mental health days off a year.

flashpoint · Sep 2, 2008

I see nothing wrong with calling in if you are truly sick or even if you just need a mental health day as long as it isn't a habit. The facility where I work has been working short staffed for about three weeks now because we have strep throat and some sort of GI thing spreading like wildfire. I have to wonder if the first person who was diagnosed (who did not call in but had to be sent home because she looked and sounded terrible) had called in instead of trying to be brave and make it through her shift if we would have so many people out with a similar illness. Sure, we can't prove that it started with her and so many of these things are more contagious before you become symptomatic, but to me, it is a very good example of why people should stay home.

I wonder if fewer people would take "mental health days" if they were allowed to cash in their sick pay. It seems pretty unfair that someone who uses all of their sick time taking mental health days benefits more than someone who does not...they are getting more paid days off than someone who has three months of sick time built up.

ArwenEvenstar · Sep 2, 2008

When I did my hospital orientation we were told by a nurse manager that taking a mental health day is completely understandable and that the hospital would prefer us to do this rather than come into work feeling flat, stressed out and potentially cause harm to our patients.
I see nothing wrong with doing it, provided it doesn't become a habit. I'm also not ashamed to admit I would take about 3 mental health days off a year.

Wow- what a great hospital! I see you are in Australia. Although nurses here do take "mental health" days, I do not think most hospitals here (USA) would "endorse" it like the nurse manager during your hospital orientation! And when I take a mental health day, I just say generically that I am "sick". I am very rarely physically sick, but I do usually call off 2 or maybe 3 times a year, and I will honestly say that those are generally "mental health" days. I am sick - sick of working!:wink2: I think calling off 2 or 3 times a year (that is once every 4 to 6 months) is PERFECTLY acceptable.

I'm changing topic slightly...But I have several European friends, and something I have noticed is that in the western European countries the workers get MUCH more paid time off each year than USA employees. They also have shorter work week hours in some of these countries as well (35 hour work week is standard instead of 40 plus). These European countries seem much more progressive in realizing that workers need ample time off to recuperate and relax from working. They don't believe in working their employees to death! Most of the people I know in Europe take a month long vacation all at once! (And they still have several MORE vacation weeks to use later!) There seems to be a real psychological difference too - in the USA, vacation time is "permitted" but not usually encouraged - it is treated like an inconvenience to the employer. "What?! You want a 2 week vacation?!" But in Europe, it is simply part of the culture, it is normal and expected to take vacation time!

I don't have any stats to back this up - but I am willing to bet that European workers call in sick less BECAUSE they have generous vacation time. They aren't as run down and stressed out. I likely would NOT need several "mental health" days if I had such generous time off each year.

(Note: I do understand that it is not so simple to compare Europe to the USA. Other differences come into play, and one can't compare apples to oranges.) But my general point is just that there is a whole different "attitude" in Europe vs. USA about time off. Europeans probably would not even understand some of the debate going on in this thread! Of course people need time off and mental health days. Other various countries don't seem to have this "workaholic", "It is BAD to take a day off", "work even if you are sick" attitude. Like the Australian who posted above and said her hospital is okay with mental health days...How refreshing!

nightmare, RN · Sep 2, 2008

Wow- what a great hospital! I see you are in Australia. Although nurses here do take "mental health" days, I do not think most hospitals here (USA) would "endorse" it like the nurse manager during your hospital orientation! And when I take a mental health day, I just say generically that I am "sick". I am very rarely physically sick, but I do usually call off 2 or maybe 3 times a year, and I will honestly say that those are generally "mental health" days. I am sick - sick of working!:wink2: I think calling off 2 or 3 times a year (that is once every 4 to 6 months) is PERFECTLY acceptable.
I'm changing topic slightly...But I have several European friends, and something I have noticed is that in the western European countries the workers get MUCH more paid time off each year than USA employees. They also have shorter work week hours in some of these countries as well (35 hour work week is standard instead of 40 plus). These European countries seem much more progressive in realizing that workers need ample time off to recuperate and relax from working. They don't believe in working their employees to death! Most of the people I know in Europe take a month long vacation all at once! (And they still have several MORE vacation weeks to use later!) There seems to be a real psychological difference too - in the USA, vacation time is "permitted" but not usually encouraged - it is treated like an inconvenience to the employer. "What?! You want a 2 week vacation?!" But in Europe, it is simply part of the culture, it is normal and expected to take vacation time!
I don't have any stats to back this up - but I am willing to bet that European workers call in sick a lot less BECAUSE they have generous vacation time. They aren't as run down and stressed out. I likely would NOT need several "mental health" days if I had such generous time off each year.
(Note: I do understand that it is not so simple to compare Europe to USA. Other differences come into play, and one can't compare apples to oranges.) But my general point is just that there is a whole different attitude in Europe vs. USA about time off. Europeans probably would not even understand some of the debate going on in this thread! Of course people need time off and mental health days. Like the Australian who posted above and said her hospital is okay with mental health days...

I work in the privat sector and get 4 weeks paid holiday(vacation) a year.I know in the NHS they get more depending on how long they have worked there.

If we work public holidays we either get an enhanced rate of pay or a ' day in lieu' to be taken at a later date. I've never heard of ' Mental Health 'days.