How do you manage/use your sick time?

[0.adamantite]

I'm a newer nurse (between 1-2 years experience) but in my previous jobs I've only ever called in sick if I physically cannot crawl out of bed to go in. I could count the number of times I've called in sick on one hand in my entire working career. I am fortunate to be in good health at the moment and rarely am seriously ill.

I have only called in once as a nurse for a couple shifts in a row because I had a fever of 101.5 and vomiting/diarrhea.

However right now I have one of the 1-2 colds I get a year. I've got chronic sinus problems so my colds make me feel pretty miserable and often morph into the dreaded sinus infection. I don't call in sick for these colds because they linger for weeks. Usually I just take a Tylenol before work, trying to consciously drink more water, and get plenty of rest at home. However our job isn't one where you can "take in easy" at work and often by the end of the day I am physically exhausted and feeling x10 worse. Still, I can't justify calling in sick to work for such a minor illness.

How do you manage your own sick time?