Cna abondonment???

[Kristennegri]

Im a cna in a nursing home..i got sick..fever, chills,dizzy,lightheaded, no appetite, just overall bad..called and told them..told me to rest and come in 4 hours late..i got up and called again and explained not any better snd was afraid of dropping someone with way i feel..was told to come in snyways..said she was sick and ee would get thruit together to find out she is workkng at other end of building. About 2-2 1/2 hours in shift i asked if i could leave bc i wasnt feeling any better and almost fell twice, but was told i couldnt leave bc she didnt have anyone else. So i went on break, called husband and went to er...found out i have severe case of pneumonia...i do have the info from hospital...she called just to see if i will be working weekend...is this abandonment or did i have the right to go to er????

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

Who is accusing you of abandonment? Did you hand off your patients/residents to another CNA? Did you tell your Charge? Though you are not licensed, you are still held accountable for your actions. If you just left...than you abandoned your station. You could claim temporary delusions caused by fever/ pneumonia/ etc...

It sounds like you work in one of those typical we don't care if you're dead just come on in places. Next time just call off and don't say that you'll come in. They can't legally fire you for calling in sick or refusing to come in when you're sick.

These types of places make me so mad. It causes us to do things we wouldn't normally do. You sound young. Don't go into work sick. If you don't show up because you told them you wouldn't, that's a whole different matter. But going in, taking an assignment, and then just up and leaving without a word to anyone, isn't cool either.

Good luck

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

As the PP said, I think it all comes down to whether you told your shift supervisor you were leaving and transferred care. If you just went on break and left from there, then that would be an issue. If you are ill, call off for the entire shift. If you feel better 4 hours later, call and see if you are still needed. Saying that you will come in 4 hours late is setting yourself up for failure and it makes it more difficult to get the shift filled.

[rleah, BSN, RN]

I agree with past posters. If you left for break and didn't come back without notifying your boss she could possibly get you for abandonment. If that is the case I would argue that you were so sick you didn't know what was happening. Or that you were forced to work clearly extremely sick and you felt if you stayed any longer you would be endangering patients. I do not want to scare you but at least in my state a CNA can lose their licence for abandonment. I hope you are doing better.