Does your facility encourage to work while sick?

juliaann · Oct 9, 2010

At my facility if you show up for your shift and are physically sick, you get sent home, end of story. I puked in the hall trashcan once because I couldn't make it to the bathroom...and I was immediately handed my bag and coat and told, "we'll split up your patients, go home."

If you call in sick, you get the third degree and the guilt trip....it's a lot easier to fake over the phone.

I'm surprised you would get a guilt trip in person over pink eye!! You should have threatened to rub your face on them.

Hope you get feeling better soon!

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2010

I was there today & even a couple of the PT's saw that I had a lot of discharge coming from my eyes & said "Oh gosh I think you might have pink eye!"..I mean I didn't want to call out b/c I have bills! But I don't want to get the residents sick b/c things spread around the building like wildfire & just last month half of them were sick with a nasty cold (which I caught too!). I was just trying to look out for them!

CaitlinLiz · Oct 9, 2010

Today I went to work for the first time this week & develop pink eye. I was scheduled for this weekend but I informed my manager that I didn't want to get anyone sick. They gave me such a hassle! I mean I've worked while I was sick before, but my eyes are really irritating & yellow discharge is coming out of them every few minutes. I just don't understand why they'd want me to work since pink eye is so contagious.. so anyways does your facility encourage you to show up to work if you're sick?

Unfortunately, yes. I have been a CNA for years, and every facility I have worked at in two different states pushes for their employees to show up for their scheduled shifts, sick or not. There was a time where I had Strep throat and had been given medication THAT DAY and had a 102+ fever and the DON still wanted me there and working. I think a lot of it stems from being low on aides, although that is not an excuse. A majority of those residents have low immunity as it is and do not need us running around spreading whatever germs we have! I think it is horrible.

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2010

Unfortunately, yes. I have been a CNA for years, and every facility I have worked at in two different states pushes for their employees to show up for their scheduled shifts, sick or not. There was a time where I had Strep throat and had been given medication THAT DAY and had a 102+ fever and the DON still wanted me there and working. I think a lot of it stems from being low on aides, although that is not an excuse. A majority of those residents have low immunity as it is and do not need us running around spreading whatever germs we have! I think it is horrible.

That's awful. I guess no one cares about the well-being of the residents:mad: :mad: :mad:

lilbearzmom · Oct 9, 2010

I haven't started working yet, but my STNA training instructor told me that we should NEVER call off. They will either send you home if it's too bad or give you a mask to wear. I think she was biased, though, having worked in management in LTC.

yousoldtheworld · Oct 9, 2010

They SAY you shouldn't come in sick, but you are given a very limited number of times you can call off, so you don't have much choice.

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2010

They SAY you shouldn't come in sick, but you are given a very limited number of times you can call off, so you don't have much choice.

I've been there a year & a half almost and this is only my 2nd time calling in. The first time was because my street wasn't plowed & I couldn't drive over 20 ft of snow! They gave me a hassle then too! But idk what I'm expecting from this place..last yr one of my co-workers got beat up by her boyfriend & was in the emergency room..and they gave her a hard time about that!

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Oct 9, 2010

Yeah after a calling out a certain number of times (3 in a YEAR) they write you up. Needless to say I got written up last year because I got the flu one time and a stomach virus another. That was unacceptable, apparently. I should have just stopped those viruses from entering my body! They already know I cannot get a flu shot so what did they expect?

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Oct 9, 2010

I've been there a year & a half almost and this is only my 2nd time calling in. The first time was because my street wasn't plowed & I couldn't drive over 20 ft of snow! They gave me a hassle then too! But idk what I'm expecting from this place..last yr one of my co-workers got beat up by her boyfriend & was in the emergency room..and they gave her a hard time about that!

One of my coworkers got written up for getting into a car accident on her way to work! She passed out and ended up in the hospital and her parents called after they found out. The facility wrote her up because she didn't call out 4 hours in advance. *****

GhostOfTheSun · Oct 9, 2010

I don't think hospitals encourage people to come to work sick, but they definitely will NOT discourage you from doing so. Points, writeups, etc. I work in a very large hospital and I can't tell you how many times I've seen nurses puking into garbage cans right outside of PT rooms, or look as pale as snow. Most will tell you they either a) can't afford to take the time off, or b) have too many points or write ups.

I would think that since we ARE there for patient care and helping them get better is our priority so calling in sick with a legitimate signed excuse from a MD shouldn't be punished but......hey, we don't work in Administration do we

I saw another post here somewhere in regards to someone getting written up because they got in a car wreck and didn't call in? Yeah, same thing happened here. The girl got into a 3 car wreck a BLOCK AWAY from the hospital within an hour of the start of her shift. She got 6 points (16 and you're terminated) because she didn't call in because she suffered from whiplash and had to be checked out by EMS and do a report with the PD. But I guess if we ever get thrown 50 ft from our cars and are bleeding gallons of blood we better remember to make that call! No, not 911 silly! You're supervisor! :uhoh3:

Totally unrelated to illness, but I remember during the winter season last year we had a huge snow storm and one OR Nurse that lives far from town got snowed in. So, Security was sent in a AWD truck to retrieve her for her shift. But when her shift was up? No one took her home. She was stuck there at the hospital until the snow was clear....5 days later.

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2010

And they wonder why the turnover rate is so high in these places.....ugh so like I said I informed my manager that I was calling out for the weekend..this morning they still called my house asking me why I wasn't @ work!