How often do CNAs call out sick?

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I'm in a bit of a bad mood. I worked a 16 hour shift yesterday-- 2pm to 6am-- and just now woke up. I'm still completely exhausted, but I have to go back in tonight because several CNAs on all shifts mysteriously get sick over the weekend. One of my co-workers does nights, and she is unable to make any "day plans" because someone always calls out "sick" on day shift, most of the PRNs never even answer the phone, and she ends up being mandated to remain on day shift. It's getting pretty ridiculous. PRNs are getting more hours than full-time employees and RNs are being forced to do CNA duties.

How often do CNAs call out "sick" at your facility? Are there any measures to discourage calling out sick?

At my facility everyone calls in sick during the weekends, mostly the night shift. I've only ever called out twice in my life, and I was so sick that I could barely move out of bed, I refused to call out days prior because I knew I could handle it even though I was in a lot of pain, but I couldn't after a while. I'm tired of cnas calling out sick an hour less before their shift, they start to hounding down those of us that are already on the unit to stay another shift to cover for them. I go above and beyond for my patients, but I'm not staying another shift because so and so doesn't feel like coming in to work. It's such a problem now that almost every day they're asking us to stay, and threaten us that none of us can leave until a) someone gives in and stays or b) they get someone to come to work.

I worked at one facility where CNA's actively used calling out as a means to control the supervising nurses. Their conversations regarding their plans were conducted within earshot of others. They did not care who knew what they were doing in this regard. Similar to waltzing past the nursing station right at shift change to loudly announce a resident fall that had occurred five hours prior to shift change. Management was afraid to deal with anything these employees cooked up. So bad that CNA behavior was a contributing factor to the nursing staff leaving, one by one. When those nurses were replaced by nurses who had more "in common" with the CNA's, mission accomplished.

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