called in sick, nurse manager calling back (inappropriate tactics?)

Nurses General Nursing

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My husband and I work together as RNs on the same unit (ICU) and we work the same schedule. No problems on that front so far between us, staff, or management. Neither of us has called in sick since signing on 18 months ago.

Yesterday, he called in sick for the first time ever (vomiting and diarrhea.) He gave plenty of notice, calling both our nurse manager and charge nurse at midnight. Our shift is 7a-7p.

At 4am, our NM called my husband. My husband was ill, and could predict that it was a plea to retract his sick day, and decided not to pick up. Then, the NM texted my husband "please call me back asap."

Ten minutes later, the NM called my cell phone. I of course happened to be finishing my last precious hours of sleep before showing up to work at 7am. I did not pick up! Five minutes later, the NM texted my phone: "please let your husband know to call me. we will need his help at 11. thank you."

Then, between 0400-0430, NM proceeded to call us BOTH one more time. He proceeded to leave a message on my husband's phone: "we will be needing you to come in as several nurses will be tripled."

What????!

My husband did end up going into work (i know, i know :( ) much to our charge nurse's dismay. It turns out, had he not retracted his sick day, the NM would have ended up coming in to take patients. My husband ended up working while he was sick, and three nurses were tripled anyway (I was one of them.)

Is this a typical tactic in nursing these days? I feel that this was inappropriate behavior on our NM's part, and can't help but to feel somewhat violated - on my husband's behalf, and that the NM was disturbing my sleep when he knew I would be working in several hours?

Not sure why I'm posting, just trying to vent and find some solidarity I guess. Thanks :)

Ridiculous. Your infection control practitioner would have a fit. I hope it wasn't the all too common Norovirus; it spreads like wildfire.

What do you mean you got tripled?

I believe she means that instead of having two patients each (ICU) the nurses would each have three.

I wish I could tell you that this was outrageous behavior and is unique to your facility, however it is outrageous behavior that occurs frequently in many many places....but DOES seem to be unique to nursing.

Used to work in a hospital that wouldn't allow you to call out sick more than three hours prior to a shift and you also couldn't call out less than two. So you had this window in which to notify them you were dying (and you had better be). If you called out four hours early, they told you to call back "just to make sure you were still sick". Unbelievable. I once called out 3 hours prior to my 7p-7a shift (I felt like I WAS dying and KNEW I'd be hard to replace, so wanted them to have as much time as possible to fill in my spot) and was told that I should call back at 10pm "in case we need you to come in"!! I actually had to tell the supervisor "I'm not REQUESTING a sick day, I'm TAKING one". I actually had to say "I'm NOT calling you at ten pm because I'm hoping to he(L I'm going to be asleep at that time, since I've not slept all day BECAUSE I'M SICK!"

I'm now a nurse manager myself. I GET that people get sick and as long as you're not a chronic abuser, it's not the nurse's responsibility to staff the unit, it's the manager's. Thank heaven I have a staff that doesn't call out unless they're keeling over, and even then by the time I know about it, they've found a replacement for themselves :)

NM wore him down. No way should he have let that happen.

He deserves a sick day.. ICU patients deserve not to have a nurse with pathogens .. exposing them in a fragile state.

Completely inappropriate. I've never worked anywhere where that would happen ... but if I were to get such a call, MY next calls would be to human resources and to my manager's boss.

not if you want to keep your job

Specializes in Hospital, med-surg, hospice.

What a nerve! Thats why you have caller ID

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
not if you want to keep your job

Kooky Korky, I know you are a nurse with many years' experience, and it saddens me that you continue to work in environments driven by a culture of fear.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.

First off, I agree with everyone that this was inappropriate behavior.

But just as a devils advocate...we as employees need to make sure that we don't complain and b*tch when fellow employees call in sick. I had a management position once where I was in charge of staffing. An employee would call in and the other staff would be angry at ME for that. What was I supposed to do? Drive by their house and drag them in? I was just horribly frustrated when people would complain out the wazoo about being short-staffed when someone else called in, but heaven forbid you didn't honor their own sick day.

Not saying any of you do this. Just check yourself next time you work short and don't complain about the sick person or the manager having to deal with them.

Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.

Um this is like the manager calling to discuss another coworker's sick day (HR issues) with you. That is exactly what the NM did. I see that you've already declined this advice, but I seriously would discuss this with the NM that this is completely inappropriate. I would be INCENSED if my manager talked to my husband about my illness, even if we did work together. As a coworker your husband's illness should be none of your concern! Totally DISGUSTED that someone's call off would be treated this way.

not if you want to keep your job

It's true; we are employed at-will. No union

Specializes in FNP, ONP.

Not to derail, but I simply cannot fathom not having a home telephone. I guess if you really cannot afford it, try this: get the $10 track phone and use that for the home phone. Only provide that number to your work place, and then don't answer it, lol. Let them leave a message and return the call at your convenience. I truly do not believe text messages are acceptable for professional communications. Disclaimer: I don't send text messages to anyone anyway, and I suppose that is another thread.

I do think when we habitually choose this sort of informal and unprofessional communication behavior as the norm, we invite more unprofessional conduct on their part. I suggest you raise the bar, and then hold them to higher standards as well. None of this text messaging nonsense. Real, professional, adult communique required. If they want something from you, they have to ask you, personally, and politely. If they should be unable to reach you to speak with you directly and make their request in a manner that facilitates clear dialogue, offering an opportunity for questions and answers as well as compromise, then they should make other arrangements.

If you opt to accept the status quo because it is easier than addressing the problem and taking steps to remedy the issues at hand, I will refrain from commenting "told ya so" on your next thread on the same or similar subject. ;)

I wouldn't have come in. Vomiting and diarrhea? Pfft...I'd be annoyed that a co-worker would come like that! Not something I want to catch. The NM will always do that to the folks she thinks she will allow her to get away with it. I wouldn't have answered my phone. He called in. The deed is done. Find a supplemental. Or she needs to take pt's.

Since he caved in once, expect her to do it to BOTH of y'all next time either one of you calls in sick.

EDIT:

I ONLY have a cell, the NM and the hospital have the #. Why pay for 2 phones? Land lines are things of the past. My parents didn't get one until my dad got a PPM a while back.

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