Does anybody else feel guilty about calling off?

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Specializes in ICU.

I was wondering if anybody else on here has call off guilt, my husband says I am crazy because of it. I am on light duty and had called off 2 days after sustaining a back injury moving a patient. My manager is great is accommodating with my restrictions so I am one day back to work and now I have 2 sick kids at home with what looks like strep throat, so obviously I will be taking them to the doc tomorrow. Is it ingrained in us in nursing school to feel guilty when missing work or is it just me?

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

I always feel guilty too. I feel bad because I know somebody else may have to come to work in my place or the other nurses may have a heavier day because of me. Because of this I hardly EVER call in. Last time I did was 2-3 years ago when I pulled a rib muscle from coughing so bad during a bad case of bronchitis. I took one day.

I usually only ever get sick with colds or sinus infections so I feel like absolute crud but know I'm not TOO sick so I just load up on medicine and go about my day.

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My husband gives me crap too, he doesn't think anything about calling off (not that he does it very often). I have to remind him that my calling off will possibly ruin the night of 5-6 other people. I have called off before but it has been for pretty good reasons

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I always feel guilty, too.....I've never really examined the reasons for this, but maybe it comes from knowing that my co-workers will have a heavier work load. I have called off to stay with an ill elderly family member, but haven't been ill for years, myself (thank goodness).

Hope you and your little ones are feeling better soon!

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.

I'll probably get flamed for this but unless you're sick I don't know why you're calling off. Is your husband unable to take the kids to the doctors while you're at work? No one in healthcare should work when sick, but I think calling off when you aren't is unfair to your coworkers.

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Specializes in ER/Emergency Behavioral Health....

2 weeks ago I had to miss clinical for school and a whole weekend of work due to strep. My fevers were high and I was so dehydrated I had to go in the hospital for IV fluids and lopressor because my BP and heart rate were just way too high; despite the temperatures coming down.

I wasn't going to go. I was going to try to make it to clinical, but my husband took me to the ER.

I actually cried on the phone to my instructor and apologizes to my charge nurse over and over.

I was sick; very sick, but I still felt guilty for missing clinical and work.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Well I guess I did call off a day in December (forgot) because we found my grandma unconscious and she was on her death bed (literally). But don't think I'd get flack for that excuse either....

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
2 weeks ago I had to miss clinical for school and a whole weekend of work due to strep. My fevers were high and I was so dehydrated I had to go in the hospital for IV fluids and lopressor because my BP and heart rate were just way too high; despite the temperatures coming down.

I wasn't going to go. I was going to try to make it to clinical, but my husband took me to the ER.

I actually cried on the phone to my instructor and apologizes to my charge nurse over and over.

I was sick; very sick, but I still felt guilty for missing clinical and work.

I caught H1N1 during my peds clinical when I was in school. Could barely function and felt horrible calling out, especially since we could only miss 2 days of clinical the entire program. But being that sick I couldn't risk infecting anyone else, just like you. Your hubby did the right thing taking you in!

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If you are sick you are not guilty of anything. Take care of yourself. Call

as soon as you can and then forget it.

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Specializes in ICU.

Sionainn......My husband is a police officer so he isn't in the best call in position either....so we take turns, when we must be off for the kids he was off the previous 2 days....now the kids 12 and 13 both have 102.4 degree fevers and worsening symptoms so it's time for the doctor and my turn to be off.

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Specializes in ICU.
I caught H1N1 during my peds clinical when I was in school. Could barely function and felt horrible calling out, especially since we could only miss 2 days of clinical the entire program. But being that sick I couldn't risk infecting anyone else, just like you. Your hubby did the right thing taking you in!

When I was a new nurse there was a GI virus running rampant, I was at work projectile vomiting with a fever that struck half way into my shift and was told I could not leave my charge nurse handed me a mask and gave me a shot of zofran in the behind and sent me on my way......I now realize this was wrong on so many levels!

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Specializes in ICU.
I'll probably get flamed for this but unless you're sick I don't know why you're calling off. Is your husband unable to take the kids to the doctors while you're at work? No one in healthcare should work when sick, but I think calling off when you aren't is unfair to your coworkers.

Do you think it's fair to leave your children home Ill and unattended so you don't let your coworkers down???? When push comes to shove my kids come before my coworkers.

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