Do you go to work with vomiting/diarrhea?

[designer-mommy]

I work in a psych/chemical dependency unit. We have two sides, one for crisis with 30 beds and another with 16 beds which is more of a stabilization/transitional type service (that's my side). We have two RNs on at any given time, one on each side. Anyway, there is a virus running rampant on my unit. The patients are sick as dogs and so are many of the staff. I had it two weeks ago, and when I went to call in I was told that I needed to come in because they needed an 8 hour notice. Um, sure, 8 hours would be courteous but who really knows if they're going to be sick in 8 hours? That's a little unrealistic, especially with only 12 hours between shifts. I was actually trying to wait and see if the vomiting/diarrhea would go away, but it didn't. Well, they ended up calling in another nurse to work overtime and cover my shifts, thank God. There was absolutely no way that I could have worked that day. I was in the bathroom literally every five minutes. I'm the only nurse to those extremely needy med seekers, so I'm constantly being bombarded with "psychosis" episodes, PRN requests, etc. So, yeah, not much room for bathroom breaks. OK, fast forward to today, the day nurse that relieved me was literally puking out of her car window on the way to work because she attempted to call in and the supervisor said that she had to come in because there was no one to cover. In my opinion, forcing the staff to come in while extremely ill is probably what caused the outbreak among the patients. Staff was the first group to come down with it, then the patients.

So, my question is, are you forced to go to work when you have vomiting/diarrhea going on? Aren't we supposed to be advocates for our patients? Shouldn't their well being be our top priority? How is going to work with a wicked virus that can easily be passed on to our patients supposed to help them? For the record, I am NOT one to call in. I know how badly it affects everyone. However, I feel that some things warrant staying home, and this issue is definitely one of them. This is just another reason to hate my job even more, and I have plenty of reasons as it is.

[RotorRunner]

It's irresponsible to go to work under those conditions. Especially if you work around the elderly, the very young, or the immunocompromised, as most nurses do.

[kakamegamama]

No. I have worked one time in my career with a sore throat and fever and made the promise to never do it again, all because the charge nurse who was going to be called in if I missed it refused to do so and guilted me into working. The next time I had fever and bronchitis, I called in, was scolded and put on verbal notice (it was 1 of 3 unrelated absences---blown back and mother's death the other two). When I said I would not expose our patients (newborns and postpartum/surgical patients) I was told "You do what you have to do." So, I turned in my notice because, as I told the manager, I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't blow my back out again nor that I would not get bronchitis with fever again. I was glad to leave that unit......

[SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN]

No, and please no co workers need to come with it either!!

I had norovirus when I worked at a PCP office. Employee health would not let me come back for 48 hours after last symptom. Which was 7 days because it lasted 5 days. It put me, at 29 years old and healthy in the hospital, can't imagine what it would to vulnerable patients.

[Kitiger, RN]

Vomiting & diarrhea would usually mean I'm infectious. No. I wouldn't go in. Uncontrolled coughing, fever, etc., are other firm reasons to stay home. I do not appreciate nurses who come in sick. I'm trying to stay well! And I'm trying to keep my clients safe & healthy.

[Crush]

N/V/D or fever I call in. Or uncontrolled coughing that might scare patients & co-workers.

[Lorilo]

I had a stomach virus earlier in the week and was told I couldn't call in because there was no one to cover my shift,even after I explained that I had been throwing up every 20 minutes for the past 5 hours and was now vomiting bile.. I went to work,though I couldn't keep anything down.As a result,I vomited repeatedly at work.I felt miserable,couldn't get much done,and the staff was hearing the sounds of my throwing up in the staff toilet. I am susceptible to stomach bugs and have 2 to 3 violent vomiting episodes per year and generally have to work,even though I vomit there,too.

[maxthecat]

Anyone ever been told by a house supervisor "take some Imodium and suck it up--that's what I do. Anybody can work sick for 8 hours. You people want to call in for every little thing."

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

During my 2 pregnancies I had awful all day nausea and vomiting for the first 12-15 weeks (in fact the nausea started before I even recognized I was late for my cycle). I would go to the bathroom, vomit, and get back to work. Granted this was in an outpatient setting so it was a little more feasible.

If I was "sick" with it, most likely I would call off. I did however go to work and test positive for Influenza A a few years ago so I tend to be pretty die hard. My PTO is very special to me.

That being said I think it depends on the setting. If I was pretty sick I would not go into my acute care job. The amount of stress physically and mentally that job causes me would make it impossible for me to be there sick.

[Lorilo]

I was once told that "we have toilets here if you're vomiting". I work in LTC and was so sick once that I threw up in a resident's toilet because I couldn't make it to the bathroom at the nurses station.

[Lorilo]

Yes,we have literally 2 nutses assigned to my unit,a day nurse and a night nurse:myself

. If I call in,my unit will not be covered. Sl I have gone to work sick and,once,even vomited in a patient's toiletbecause I couldn't make it to the nurses station bathroom. I am susceptible to stomach flu and am prone to throwing up with any illness or injury,and sometimes have a random stomach ache or upset stomach at work and have to vomit.

[cleback]

Sounds like a noro outbreak waiting to happen. Next time I'd ask your supervisor if the health department knows that it's their policy for Healthcare workers to come in puking/with the runs? I'm sure they'd be dying to know!

[TruvyNurse]

Diarrhea? I got to work. Vomiting? I stay home.