Fake call outs irritate me

[Emergent]

So, Labor Day weekend is over. We had a couple of obvious fake sick calls, leaving the day shift short. Both of them were by people annoyed with management, nurses who constantly, self righteously proclaim their dedication to patient care and safety, and deride the hospital for understaffing.

I believe that we have a moral obligation to come to work if we are able. We signed up for nursing, knowing that we will have to work on weekends and holidays. How can anyone hold their head up and say they are dedicated to patient safety, when they leave their co-workers short because they want to play?

[Justdoit86]

I've got coworkers who calls in "sick" almost every weekend. It sucks! I hope she got written up for making a scene at work a couple of weeks ago just because she didn't wanna stay at work for another hour to cover for a shift. Lies lies lies! She came back to work like nothing happened. Tsk tsk

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Well, maybe I'm just hung up based on my upbringing. My mother was a teacher and didn't call in sick unless she was really sick. I guess that value was drummed into me while growing up. So, you all don't feel let down by your co-workers when they call in sick on a busy weekend?

I feel an obligation to my co-workers, to not leave them in the lurch and leaving them understaffed. It's not always possible to fill last minute holes, we all know that. Maybe I should let go of my mother's attitudes and loosen up?

Compare and contrast teaching and nursing. That's one H*LL of an essay.

It is possible to fill a last minute hole. Actually it's easy. I was an agency nurse for years. One call.. I was there to cover the shift. The FACILITY has to be willing to pay for that coverage. Yours does not.

[proud nurse, BSN, RN]

I work with plenty of staff who call in if they were unsuccessful at getting their shift covered. They'll ask everyone if they can work for them, and when no one can, they just call in sick. Just about everyone knows that person was trying to get off and is probably not really sick, but since we don't have "personal days", that only leaves sick days. It doesn't normally irritate me, but I find it annoying how some people nonchalantly abuse calling in on weekends or holidays routinely. Regardless of what they do, I'm going to continue to work my scheduled days and only pick up extra shifts if I feel like it.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

It is nearly impossible to cover sick calls on a holiday and yes they irritate me.

No where near impossible. The facility should have 3 agencies they use. Any one of them can fill that hole.The facility does NOT want to pay the money to do so!

As an agency nurse, I received a call @ 5 am to to work on Labor Day. I was there with bells on @ 7 am. Never worked at that facility before... it can be done.

[heron, ASN, RN]

No where near impossible. The facility should have 3 agencies they use. Any one of them can fill that hole.The facility does NOT want to pay the money to do so!

As an agency nurse, I received a call @ 5 am to to work on Labor Day. I was there with bells on @ 7 am. Never worked at that facility before... it can be done.

You're right, to a point.

Still not an excuse for the abuse of sick time described in the OP. You may be willing to work on a holiday with a last-minute call, but many (if not most) are not. The number of agencies in an area is limited and the ability of a supervisor to book agency staff usually is, too.

I've heard, and often agree with, all the points about lack of loyalty and concern for staff, etc. etc. etc.

In the case of bogus sick calls on holidays, it amounts to the "abuse excuse".

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

I never call in sick unless I'm sick, but I don't really care what other people do. Staffing will cancel you with less than two hours notice. They'll even send you home after you arrive at work if it's convenient for them. One job I had required you to be "on call" when sent home ...so your pay went from regular to $2.00 an hour, but you were still obligated for the rest of the night just in case they changed their mind and decided they needed you.

Why does the hospital deserve more consideration from their employees than they show to them?

[heron, ASN, RN]

It doesn't - see my post #16, above. That, however, is the "abuse excuse" in action.

I still don't buy it.

But then, I'm not management, either, so no-one owes me any explanations at all. If you're comfortable with the behavior, carry on.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

As a Canadian, I guess I see this from a different perspective. We are on a budget. There are limited funds.

Agency is $$$$. To call in Agency, we have to exhaust all options. So we have to call all staff including full timers. We have to contact all other units to see if they have someone available whom will float. This is very time consuming.

After all that, then we can go to agency.

But agency present it's own challenges. Our hospital is almost 90% Electronic documentation. Agency nurses do not have the needed access. So we have to print out paper MARS, help them with access to the Med Room, drugs etc. It's a lot of extra work.

So much extra work that it's almost easier to work short than work with agency.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

You're right, to a point.

Still not an excuse for the abuse of sick time described in the OP. You may be willing to work on a holiday with a last-minute call, but many (if not most) are not. The number of agencies in an area is limited and the ability of a supervisor to book agency staff usually is, too.

I've heard, and often agree with, all the points about lack of loyalty and concern for staff, etc. etc. etc.

In the case of bogus sick calls on holidays, it amounts to the "abuse excuse".

Pay me enough, I'll work any holiday. But the hospital would rather staff short than pay. We work two short shifts, the hospital can pay double time for one and still break even. But they won't. The hospital likes us blaming each other for working short. When it's really just that they don't want to pay for coverage.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

I never call in sick unless I'm sick, but I don't really care what other people do. Staffing will cancel you with less than two hours notice. They'll even send you home after you arrive at work if it's convenient for them. One job I had required you to be "on call" when sent home ...so your pay went from regular to $2.00 an hour, but you were still obligated for the rest of the night just in case they changed their mind and decided they needed you.

Why does the hospital deserve more consideration from their employees than they show to them?

Exactly. Like I said, the hospital abuses us, then let's us blame each other rather than them. It's all well and good for us to be noble, but all it does is get us taken advantage of.

Employment at will. They can fire me at any time. They can cancel me at any time. If they aren't going to guarantee me hours, no reason for me to guarantee them hours.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

As a Canadian, I guess I see this from a different perspective. We are on a budget. There are limited funds.

Agency is $$$$. To call in Agency, we have to exhaust all options. So we have to call all staff including full timers. We have to contact all other units to see if they have someone available whom will float. This is very time consuming.

After all that, then we can go to agency.

But agency present it's own challenges. Our hospital is almost 90% Electronic documentation. Agency nurses do not have the needed access. So we have to print out paper MARS, help them with access to the Med Room, drugs etc. It's a lot of extra work.

So much extra work that it's almost easier to work short than work with agency.

Yes, agency is money. That is a moot point. It is never easier to work short.

It involves utilizing a contingent plan that must be in place. That includes having available agency nurses that have been trained in the facilities EMR. I have worked in many facilities. I received 3 to 4 hours of EMR training.. was ready to use their system.

It's not a difficult endeavor. It's an expensive endeavor the facilities don't want to pay.

Administration will let you work short.... is THAT a better answer?

[heron, ASN, RN]

As I've pointed out repeatedly - I'm referring only to sick calls to get out of working a holiday when it's your turn. Not ok with me. Luckily, I'm nobody's boss and don't get close with co-workers, so it doesn't destroy my life ... just my respect for the co-worker who pulls this krep. I'm also well aware that no one cares whether I respect them or not. Just my opinion.