Has your supervisor ever told you to go to work when you were throwing up?

ArwenEvenstar · Jul 25, 2008

Ridiculous is all I have to say that we are treated this way!!!!

I recently ranted in another post because.... I recently called in and I was told that the policy is that you have to call in 24 hours ahead!! I called in 5 hours before my shift started and I was hassled and told that you must call-in 24 hours ahead! (By the way, I rarely call in. About 2 times a year is typical for me.) Anyways, to call in 24 hours ahead means that you have to call in the day BEFORE. I work an odd shift (5pm to 10pm) so that means I would have to call in the afternoon of the previous day! Hello?!?! How can I know the day before what is going to happen the next day?? In addition, just because I feel sick the day BEFORE I have to work does not mean I will feel sick the next day. Duh....

I don't think other professions have to put up with this bologna!

nelcoy4 · Jul 25, 2008

I never tell them why I'm calling out. I tell them I can't come in and that's it. It's nobody busniess how you use your time, unless it's getting out of control

allnurses Guide · Jul 25, 2008

If you have D and V in my hospital then you are not allowed to work until you are 2 days clear and have to provide occupational health with specimins to make sure that you are not infective and will not cause an outbreak.

We have sickness policies and our training clearly states that no matter what your member of staff is calling in with you are to let them know that you hope they feel better soon.

Having said that call in 3 times in 2 years and you are given an informal chat, twice more after than formal interview, 2 more times final interview and then termination. Each stage is held on record for 2 years.

daisybaby, LPN · Jul 25, 2008

We do have to call the floor and staffing office. I only say that I am calling in sick or absent. That is all that is required. Usually I am told to feel better and end of story.

We call the staffing office during the business workweek, or the nsg sup. on eves or weekends. Same thing- we are only required to say if we are sick or absent. I have gotten some less-than-genuine "feel better"s from notoriously cranky sup's, but that doesn't bother me at all.

AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN · Jul 26, 2008

Back years ago when I was just starting out, I remember this so well.....a friend of mine was pregnant, about 8 or so months along, and worked in RT. Her water broke in the middle of her shift one night, and when she told her sup that she needed to go to L & D, the sup told her she needed to try and finish her shift before she went!!!! HELLO! This is a woman in labor, you nit, not a whiny so-and-so that wants to go home!

To add insult to injury, the hospital tried to weasel out of paying her for the hours worked that shift because "she failed to call in 8 hours prior to her scheduled time to work to advise that she would not be present or was ill".

I was not even aware of that policy, and after the hospital did that to my friend, another nurse got slammed for having a wreck on the way in to work. Same scenario, she failed to call in 8 hours ahead, no pay. All us nurses got together and made a plan, we ALL called in, every one, 8 hours ahead of every shift for 2 weeks, to tell them that we were PLANNING to be there, but that some unforseen something might happen on the way, and we wanted to be sure we were covered.

That policy got changed REAL quick.

chevyv, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2008

We had a policy in place that stated you had to find a replacement if you called in. That made absolutely no sense to me. I rarely called in so the first time I did and was told to start calling people, I just told them I was too sick and it just wasn't going to happen. I hung up and went back to bed (or maybe the bathroom). I can't imagine who thought that up, but it seems that other places do the same thing. I was never written up and it was never mentioned to me again, but I wonder why anyone would think a sick person would spend time trying to get someone to cover them at 0500.....

november17, ASN, RN · Jul 26, 2008

That is a conversation that should never happen.
Nurse: "Hello, this is NurseX. I'm sorry but I'm calling off for my TimeX shift today."
Supervisor: "Thanks for calling."
End of conversation.
It's unnecessary to offer details of why you're calling off. I would head off any attempt by my supervisor to cajole details out of me with, "I will call again later if I feel I will be unable to come in to work tomorrow/whenever next scheduled. Have a good day. Goodbye."

That's how it happens where I work. If you try to even offer details about why you can't come in, the administrator/supervisor gets irritated...because they could care less! The second you say your position they're already wondering how they're gonna adjust staffing to meet the need!

The only time I ever had a hard time (not that I call in very often,) was when there was a HUGE snowstorm that hit last year...Apparently 25% of the nursing staff called in the next day because no one could get to work. I had been calling in for 2 days before that because I was really ill with a stomach bug I picked up in Mexico. Anyways, the supervisor said, "Are you calling in because of the weather? Or because you are sick? If it is because of the weather we'll send security over in a 4 wheel drive blazer out to pick you up and bring you in...(seriously...)"

I was like ,"No, I'm pretty sick, actually." She said, "Oh, okay." click.

If anyone ever told me to come while I was literally too sick to make it they could take that job and shove it!

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Aug 1, 2008

Having said that call in 3 times in 2 years and you are given an informal chat, twice more after than formal interview, 2 more times final interview and then termination. Each stage is held on record for 2 years.

So you can only be sick 3 times in a 2 year period? that is crazy.

ArwenEvenstar · Aug 1, 2008

Originally Posted by sharrie: "Having said that call in 3 times in 2 years and you are given an informal chat, twice more after than formal interview, 2 more times final interview and then termination. Each stage is held on record for 2 years."

So you can only be sick 3 times in a 2 year period? that is crazy.

Yes, when I saw this, I also thought it was crazy! 3 times in 2 years?! If that was the policy at all the places I have worked, 90% of the staff would have been terminated!!

My husband works full-time as a RN, and he usually calls in sick 3 or 4 times a year. And he is always told on his yearly evaluation that he has a very low call-in rate, and that he is considered a very dependable and reliable employee. Apparently, others call-in much more than this. I only work part-time and I usually call in sick about 2 times a year.

SDS_RN, RN · Aug 2, 2008

That's how it happens where I work. If you try to even offer details about why you can't come in, the administrator/supervisor gets irritated...because they could care less! The second you say your position they're already wondering how they're gonna adjust staffing to meet the need!
The only time I ever had a hard time (not that I call in very often,) was when there was a HUGE snowstorm that hit last year...Apparently 25% of the nursing staff called in the next day because no one could get to work. I had been calling in for 2 days before that because I was really ill with a stomach bug I picked up in Mexico. Anyways, the supervisor said, "Are you calling in because of the weather? Or because you are sick? If it is because of the weather we'll send security over in a 4 wheel drive blazer out to pick you up and bring you in...(seriously...)"
I was like ,"No, I'm pretty sick, actually." She said, "Oh, okay." click.
If anyone ever told me to come while I was literally too sick to make it they could take that job and shove it!

Are you by chance from SD or do other states actually do this too? Picking staff up in a snow storm :banghead:they'll do anything to get you there even if it's risking the lives of their staff.

They'll take us anyway they can get us.

Atheos · Aug 2, 2008

Are you by chance from SD or do other states actually do this too? Picking staff up in a snow storm :banghead:they'll do anything to get you there even if it's risking the lives of their staff.
They'll take us anyway they can get us.

We get people in a snow storm. If it's a crazy blizzard we would call people in before it happened. When I lived in Indiana, the police came and got me one time.

When I am staffing my concern is the residents, the people that don't come will be remembered when they need overtime. We are supposed to be a team. Shrug.

As for sick calls, I don't have time to ask them what's wrong. All I say is 'Ok, Hope you feel better" and then it is phone call time. Of course I have built a crazy large PRN list and since we rarely have overtime everyone jumps on our OT shifts.

Can't really fault them for calling off sick. I have my own health issues that preclude me from coming to work at times. Can't really say anything to them. :)

BinkieRN, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2008

I don't like to call in sick unless I can't avoid it. I try to
take use meds that supress my symptoms instead of calling in
sick. When you are throwing up or have diarrhea it is a threat to
co workers and patients. Why would a good supervisor tell you
to go to your shift anyway? I think this is dangerous.

You're thinking is correct. It then becomes the supervisors problem. Part of her/his job. Don't sweat it, call in, stay in bed, get well...