Sick time off

Clementia · Jan 16, 2014

Call off if you're still sick, and don't feel guilty about it. You can't give your patients the best care if you are ill yourself. Besides, what if you pass your illness on to your patients? If the manager gives you grief, perhaps a doctor's note might help.

Feel better!

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2014

Hi all!
Advice needed. Been at my job for a little over a year, and hadn't had to call off that whole year. Got the flu in November (and I do all my 12s back to back to back) so ended up having to call off 3 days. Still didn't feel that great coming back, but I hate calling off. Fast forward, I'm now home sick with pneumonia (great luck right?). I've called off twice (which apparently counts as one so long as it's consecutive), but I'm still feeling terrible. When I called off today, the nurse manager gave me the long sigh and really? tone. I've only been a nurse for 2 1/2 years total, but new at this hospital, but I don't call off like this. I'm going to play it by ear tomorrow and see how I feel, but I feel like I'm going dirty looks if I call off again. Suggestions/comments??
Sincerely,
Sick Nurse

Get better...let her sigh...the last time my boss did that, I went into work. I was a supervisor.... I ended up hospitalized in ICU for a week with pneumonia at 2 am during my shift. I was in the hospital for 3 weeks. I ended up being off 2 months...funny enough I was forced the flu shot that year....go figure.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 17, 2014

If you are sick, you are sick. Call off.

That being said, since it's 3 days of illness, you may want to go to the doctor for two reasons. One, to make sure you are OK. Two, to get a doctor's note, because most facilities will require one from you if you are out a certain number of days in a row...in all of the places I've worked at, that number has been 3.

Feel better soon.