Excuses for Missing Work

goats'r'us, ASN, RN · Jul 5, 2006

i get pretty bad hay fever randomly throughout the year - i'll be fine through some really pollen-filled days, then in the middle of winter will suddenly snuff up because someone's walked through the ward with lilies. it happened once about halfway through an afternoon shift, all of a sudden i couldn't breathe through my nose, my throat was itching like crazy, and everytime i spoke, my nose started running. spoke to the nurse in charge, and she agreed i should go home, as i wasn't much good to anyone the way i was, but ran into the 3A (in charge hospital-wide) on my way out and was asked where i thought i was going. i explained (nose pouring) that i was going home sick, and got a 'oh no you're not' speech and marched back to work! ended up taking some phenergan from the cupboard, but couldn't take much as it makes me sleepy, so it didn't really help. finished the shift sitting at the desk with a box of tissues beside me, having ordered everyone not to talk to me because the boogies were sending me mental. did all the paperwork i could lay my hands upon (couldn't speak to patients), and wrote a handover letter on my patients for one of the other nurses to read out to the next shift.

was very dirty with that night's 3A for a long time.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jul 5, 2006

I had to float out of CCU to a medical unit once because the nurse that was supposed to float had 'way too many menstrual cramps' to work the floor.

And the supervisor felt that was a sufficient enough excuse to float me out of turn!

I guess I didn't score any points by suggesting that if she was too sick to WORK, then maybe she should go home, in which case, we wouldn't have the staff to float anyone. . .

~faith,

Timothy.

sanctuary, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 5, 2006

2230 call (shift starts 2300) comes in from "Ed" who states, "I can't come in because my wife has cramps.":angryfire No kidding. SAince it was too cose to the start of the shift, and he was not the sick one, I could put him on leave without pay. So I did.

LoriAlabamaRN · Jul 5, 2006

At my last job I had an RN call in because her husband was driving her to the hospital as she had mistook the superglue for her eyedrops and superglued both her eyes shut. (personally, I would have realized with the first one, but this gal marched to the beat of a different drummer, most likely the toy monkey beating the snare drum).

At this job I had a CNA call in because her brother was having to report to jail that afternoon to start a ten year sentence for selling crack and she wanted to spend the day with him.

Brad_RN_Student_PA · Jul 5, 2006

I've used this one, and i blush to say it...

My wife and I are having marital problems, and well...family comes before work. Can you approve me for some personal time?

Meanwhile we were having some "issues" in "bed"...can ya guess what they were?!

Can I say MORNING $&* RULES? haha

Alixandra · Jul 6, 2006

I once had to call into work because I had nothing to wear. No, really it was a valid excuse. I had done my laundry, which included all of my work clothes, and put the basket on the bathroom counter, since that is where I got dressed every morning. Well apparently my cat dumped the basketsometime after I was in bed and all of my nice clean work clothes got all over the bathroom floor. OK, no big deal but I didn't know my work clothes were all over floor until the toilet in our bathroom backed up and put 1/2- 1 inch of raw sewage all over the floor and my work clothes. I felt so stupid calling in and saying that I couldn't come in because I no longer had any clean clothes. Then I got to run to the laundromat and rewash all of my now sewage soaked clothing.

My mom and godmother worked with a woman who kept regenerating body parts. I say that because she had her gallbladder removed 5 times, had apendicitis 3 times and had no fewer than 7 hysterectomies. This was back in the early to mid 70's so any of these operations got you a massive amont of time off from work. She also had a lot of family, her mother died 4 times, her father 3. her grandmother died 7 times and her grandfather no fewer than 8. I think she also called a few times because her dog died. This was over a 5 year period before they finally started documenting all of this and fired her.

Taryn

tryingtomakeit, RN · Jul 7, 2006

I had to call once and tell my supervisor I would be late because my weenie dog had locked my keys in the jeep - along with herself and my purse, which held my extra set of keys. I had to wait until my husband got home so he could go to the dealership, get an extra set of keys and unleash the wrath of my locked up weenie dog!:chair:

jaylonot · Jul 7, 2006

:roll these are great!

ktwlpn, LPN · Jul 7, 2006

How about a list of wierd excuses for not coming to work?
My favorite: I can't come in today, I'm having vision problems. I just don't see myself working.
Kevin

aka "anal glaucoma" I just can't see my orifice coming to work today"

perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2006

I had to call in late one day because as I was walking out the door and tried to lock it, the lock itself broke and wouldn't lock. I couldn't get ahold of a locksmith, I was back and forth trying to call work and my apartment manager and ended up having to come in, leaving my apt. door unlocked. Luckily nothing happened but I was freaking out all shift.

These other excuses and stories are awesome.

3boysejj · Jul 10, 2006

I got called in to work for a co-worker who called in because the electrcity had gone out and she couldn't get her car out of her garage.

Jeni

grace90, LPN, LVN · Jul 11, 2006

Years ago a coworker called in 15 minutes before start of shift because her parent's toilet wasn't functioning properly.