Diagnosed with Pneumonia

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Yuck is the best way to describe how I feel at this point. I'm going on day 6 of pneumonia,on my third day of PO Levaquin. I started feeling ill last weekend with shortness of air, fever, tachycardia etc. Been off work the entire previous week, but still feel bad. Occasional shortness of air, improving though, my 02 sats around 95-97%. deep cough, still sweating, and still feel really weak and out of sorts.

I'm due back to work Tuesday night, but I just don't see myself as physically able to do this without having a relapse. I don't know what my options are. I started my current job with Veterans Affairs back in June, and I want to be reliable. But, realistically, I'm sick and need time to recover.

At this point, do I consider FMLA for a couple of weeks? Do I ask my manager for PTO?

In 20 plus years of work (I'm 43), I've never been this sick to call off work for a week, but I feel I need more time. What should I do?

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Pneumonia is miserable!! Do you have any PTO left? I guess I'd just call your NM tomorrow and say you're being treated for pneumonia and are still not physically strong, and ask if s/he'd recommend short term disability or just take some more sick days. They should be aware that pneumonia is a big deal and that you may need some more days to recoup. Feel better soon! (I've had it 3 times, once which required weeks in the hospital when I was a kid. I know it's rough!!)

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

In order to qualify for FMLA you need to have worked a year and at least 1250 hours. If you started in June you haven't been employed there long enough.

Talk with your manager. Use PTO. Talk with your treating physician

In order to qualify for FMLA you need to have worked a year and at least 1250 hours. If you started in June you haven't been employed there long enough.

Talk with your manager. Use PTO. Talk with your treating physician

Certainly bad news for me. I've hardly called in sick over a 20 year period, and now I'm having a long and slow recovery to a bad infection. And sounds as if I have no recourse, other than hoping that management will allow me to recover. But, legally, they don't have to.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

You're sick....tell them you are sick and can't work...what are your options to get paid. Call your PCP and get your out of work extended. If you have a good attendance record it should be fine.

Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.

I would call out if you are feeling to ill to work and get a note from your physician.

HPRN

Followed up with a Pulmonologist today. No pleural effusions, and pneumonia is improving, but still have congestion in small area of lower right lung. Ordered me off for an additional 3 days. Informed my MGR, and apparently I will have exhausted my sick leave after tomorrow, and could be marked as AWOL after tomorrow.

So I guess my options are to stay home and start earning penalties on my work record, or go in and feel miserable and chance a setback.

Ya know, I used to get disgusted with those who intentionally screw the system to stay home and earn a check. But, maybe they have figured it out. I mean, one gets ill (and to no fault of their own) and you face the possibility of losing a job, being wrote up etc. And, no, since I've worked less than a year, I do not have FMLA.

As a last resort, couldn't they give you a few days of unpaid leave?

This entire thread has left me speechless. I work in a union job and have paid sick leave (in addition to paid vacation time). When I use up my sick credits and if I have a medical note there are two options: short term disability insurance if I pay into it or sick pay from the government employment insurance plan (if you have worked long enough).

Only as a last resort would I be forced to use my vacation pay to cover an illness.

I just don't understand how Americans think people survive. We've spent many shifts explaining the differences between vacation and sick time to nurses we've hired from the US and they just look at us like we are making it up.

I've had pneumonia and it was horrible. Off work for 16 shifts. My only thing was to recover not worry about the possible loss of a job due to no fault of my own.

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