Do your CNA's call in sick every weekend?

BETSRN · Jan 10, 2005

Thank goodness I don't work day shift at my LTC. I have been working at this LTC for about 5 months. The same CNA's call in every weekend with the same excuses weekend after weekend. What about your facility? Do you have the same call-offs every weekend? What does your facility do about these people who call in every weekend?

It would seem to me that there is a mojpr problme with the management of your LTC facility if people get away with calling out sick time and time again. have you been to the administrators to discuss this? It is inpacting the rest of you and should not be tolerated.

lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN · Jan 10, 2005

Ah, the blessed call off. They don't fire our chronic callers because that would eliminate at least one half of the CNAs. We work four days on, two days off so making them make up weekends won't work. Every time I have a Saturday off, I don't make plans, because I know that at 7 sharp, my phone will ring. It's a good thing I love my job.

rehab nurse · Jan 10, 2005

we have this problem as well with the frequent call ins, but the past three weeks or so, a new trend has developed. people pick up overtime (i work 3-11, so it's usually day shift CNA's) and depending on where they get assigned, will make a few phone calls, and then suddenly a "family member" will call and say that so and so needs to come home immediately.

yesterday, we had five people leave at about four oclock (it sometimes takes an hour to determine final assignments, because usually the aides don't start trickling in till about 30-45 minutes after their shift starts). the excuses ranged from:

1) i have to go home, cause my baby's daddy said the stove is still on. (um, he doesn't know how to turn a stove off, and you left him in charge of your two month old infant?!)

2) i don't want to work with so and so on THAT unit, so i am going home.

3) i've had diarrhea for three days (but she managed to work through the rest of her shifts, just said she had "diarrhea" when she got pulled off her regular unit)

4) i have to go pick up my daughter from school (it's sunday!)

5) i don't like the set i got assigned by the nurse, so i'm outta here!

thankfully i am not a supervisor so i don't have to deal with staffing. ugh. so, in addition to the 19 subacute patients i had, i also had to help my one CNA get them all ready for bed. i love it when i have to run around and hang 8 iv's, and pass my meds, and do a few stat blood draws on two of my very sick pts, and the aide is blissfully done with rounds since she got help from me, and now she sits at the end of the hallway. :angryfire

i'm sorry for the vent, i've worked at this facility for three years now, and it's really taken it's toll on me. i'll be leaving when i am done with school this year.

boulergirl, CNA · Jan 10, 2005

We have a policy at our facility--if someone calls in on their scheduled weekend to work, they must work the following weekend.

Lately, due to the stomach bug going around, someone calls in every DAY. When the phone rings, I wonder who's calling in THIS time. (Thankfully, the boss tends to find a replacement before I have to.)

We had weekend call-ins regularly when I was working in fast food. Don't recall any consequences being given for that--a lot of them were teenagers. One guy even had the audacity to call in because his FOOT FELL ASLEEP. (He called later to say his foot was waking up, so he was warming up the car and coming to work after all.)

lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN · Jan 10, 2005

2) i don't want to work with so and so on THAT unit, so i am going home.

5) i don't like the set i got assigned by the nurse, so i'm outta here!

I don't feel like it? If they've taken report, that's called abandonment. Report them to the BON.

Plagueis · May 4, 2005

We have a similar problem at the place I work at. Us employees were told when we were hired that if someone called off on weekends, then after 3 warnings he/she would be suspended. However, this doesn't seem to be working, since the same CNAs keep calling out, and they are still working. One reason for the call outs, I think, is that at some homes, they list who will be working on the weekends, and if there are 6 or 7 aides on, when there are usually 4, then some CNAs might think that since there are "extra" workers, they can call out.

Blackcat99 · May 4, 2005

Yes when I start a new job at the LTC"s I am always told that the CNA's will get in trouble and be fired for calling in sick continually on the week-ends. However, the reality is that they continue to call in sick on the week-ends and no one gets fired. :angryfire

BETSRN · May 4, 2005

Yes when I start a new job at the LTC"s I am always told that the CNA's will get in trouble and be fired for calling in sick continually on the week-ends. However, the reality is that they continue to call in sick on the week-ends and no one gets fired. :angryfire

Calling out is unprofessional behavior no matter who does it.

jude11142 · May 4, 2005

I work in a LTCF and have to say that we seem to have the same employees calling out time after time. Doesn't really matter if they are nurses, cna's, dietary etc...If it's a weekend that they call out on, then they have to work the next one. I often wonder why nobody gets fired?? I don't understand it esp since we have many applicants that would love to come here to work?? Makes no sense??

JUDE