When do you call off work?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Utilization Management.

Ugh. I'm going into the second or third day of a vicious head cold. No, I don't have a fever, but I have postnasal drip, a sinus headache, and already my brain is fried after being awake a few short hours.

I took a couple of Tylenol, ate something even though my stomach is somewhat queasy, and I think I have to call off because I'm not thinking clearly. :o I keep losing my train of thought.

I don't get an official day off for another few days. Should I take the chance that I'll feel better tomorrow and call off tonight? Or should I tough it out and be a warm body at work?

What would you do?

Would you try to go to work or stay home?

How sick to you have to be to call off? Dead on your feet or just off your game?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

well most places require a doctors note after 2 or 3 days missed, maybe your doesnt. But most places frown on people calling in so early, but in your case of an extended illness, it might be warranted. But if your calling in a third day, you might see a doc...IT sounds viral in nature and nothing can really be done, but at least you've seen someone and can get a note from the doc.....

Spreading your virus to your patients and co-workers isnt the answer.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Utilization Management.

I haven't called off with this yet. I was just thinking that if I call off tonight and then it gets worse, then I'd be faced with going to work sick at some point this week or calling off 3 days in a row, which I agree, is really not good.

I'm so ticked off. I felt great when I got up this morning.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Take care of yourself. If you're feeling this bad now, even if you feel somewhat better in the morning, it sounds like you're going to need some more rest. Call in sick before you go to bed and relax. You won't get good rest for worrying about it.

Get well soon.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

The earlier i call off the better, so they can call in a replacement sooner.

If i think that i'm sick to the point that it's going to interfere with my job, which can up the risk of harm to a pt., then i call off.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Utilization Management.
Take care of yourself. If you're feeling this bad now, even if you feel somewhat better in the morning, it sounds like you're going to need some more rest. Call in sick before you go to bed and relax. You won't get good rest for worrying about it.

Get well soon.

Thanks for the advice. I finally got off my butt and took my temp and I do have a low-grade fever (an hour after the Tylenol), so I did call off.

I'm still curious, though: What are your call-off parameters?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

When I am on the pot for the third time and puking in the waste basket, oh yeh and they did get the background noises cuz I puked during the call-in. Otherwise I just do it. If I can function otherwise...ie take the kids here and there, go to the store, drive the car, walk more than 200 feet without having to lie on the floor. I go to work. If I worsen I just go home.

Thinking about this though makes me wonder if we should have better mental health interventions for our job and can we and should we take 'mental health days'.

How about the after christmas in ICU I spent with one intensivist.....terminally weaning 8 patients that the families didn't want to die on christmas. We both sat and cried over some really bad coffee after that. We ran out of body bags and morgue trays so they picked up 5 in the unit. I went home to an empty house and cried some more. About a month later we had a quick tears session about it in a report meeting. I never took time off for that but it sure hurt worse than the virus I had when I did call off... the virus I could justify, the anguish dosen't show so it cannot be justified.

I think a revamping of health care workers physical and mental health needs to be initiated.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This isn't an issue for me anymore, as I'm taking a break from hospital work, and doing public health surveillance, but in the old days :chuckle we needed to call in by noon (I worked 3 to 11). Night shift by 1900 and days 0500. You could pretty much tell by the census if you needed to drag your butt in or not. Some days it would have taken bleeding from the eyes to call off, and others, well a snotty nose and body aches would suffice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.

What would you do?

Would you try to go to work or stay home?

How sick to you have to be to call off? Dead on your feet or just off your game?

Glad you called. I think going in when your sick just prolongs your illness and exposes others, both patients (especially) and co-workers, to what you have.

If I have something respiratory, which is very rare, I will call sick for the first two days of the cold. If I don't have a temp on the third day, I will go. I just got done with this as a matter of fact.

I'll also call in sick if I just feel crappy. Like maybe I didn't get enough sleep after working the night before.

Fortunately, we have the staff and usually there isn't any guilt associated with calling in sick.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I call off if I'm seriously ill. If its something minor, I'll generally take OTC something or other and go in and tough it out. If I'm seriously ill, or infectious/febrile in any way, of course I'll stay home.

We also have to have a note for an extended illness, and I don't know that I would have called off in your circumstances.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

When do I call off? When I'm dead.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

How, exactly, do you call into your employer after you're dead? Just curious. :p

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment