Can I call out sick?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So I am a new nurse, I've been at my job for 4 months. Last week I started to feel ill so I had to call out for my Saturday night shift. The following evening (Sunday) I sucked it up and went to work. Then I had two nights off, and am scheduled to go back tomorrow night.

The problem is is that I have started to feel progressively worse instead of better, so today I went to urgent care. The urgent care doctor told me I have an upper respiratory infection and that I need to take the rest of the week off, and she wrote me a note.

I know it probably sounds stupid to many if you, but as a new nurse at the hospital I work at I don't want to put myself or my job or my career at risk. I'm afraid that even with the doctors note, these people hardly know me, what if they think I am simply unreliable? Also, I am still within my probationary period so it makes me even more uncomfortable to call out again.

Trust me, I don't want to put my patients or co-workers as risk of catching what I have. It's not me being selfish, it's just me being afraid that calling out will be held against me, and I am a single mom so the pressure is always on me to make everything happen financially, I have no one to fall back on if I were to lose my job.

Please help, any feedback greatly appreciated.

Sour Lemon

5,016 Posts

So I am a new nurse, I've been at my job for 4 months. Last week I started to feel ill so I had to call out for my Saturday night shift. The following evening (Sunday) I sucked it up and went to work. Then I had two nights off, and am scheduled to go back tomorrow night.

The problem is is that I have started to feel progressively worse instead of better, so today I went to urgent care. The urgent care doctor told me I have an upper respiratory infection and that I need to take the rest of the week off, and she wrote me a note.

I know it probably sounds stupid to many if you, but as a new nurse at the hospital I work at I don't want to put myself or my job or my career at risk. I'm afraid that even with the doctors note, these people hardly know me, what if they think I am simply unreliable? Also, I am still within my probationary period so it makes me even more uncomfortable to call out again.

Trust me, I don't want to put my patients or co-workers as risk of catching what I have. It's not me being selfish, it's just me being afraid that calling out will be held against me, and I am a single mom so the pressure is always on me to make everything happen financially, I have no one to fall back on if I were to lose my job.

Please help, any feedback greatly appreciated.

Career at risk? It's possible the people at your job might think you're unreliable, but you have from now until whenever to turn them around with your future behavior.

Stay home, you typhoid mary.

NightNerd, MSN, RN

1,130 Posts

Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

Yeah, if your doctor says you need to chill at home for a few shifts, call out. The opinion of a few people is not worth it, and I sincerely doubt this will be a career-ending situation. Get well, come back, and impress everyone then.

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