How often do you play hooky?

Published

  1. How often do you play hooky?

    • 105
      Never or rarely (less than once a year): It violates my work ethic
    • 26
      Never or rarely (less than once a year): We are too understaffed
    • 82
      1-3 times a year
    • 43
      3 or more times a year

256 members have participated

Or, to put a better spin on it, how often do you take a mental health day? That is, use one of your sick days for something other than being ill or taking care of an ill family member?

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

First nurses, nurses-2b, etc.....being "sick" does not always imply something is "physically" ailing you.

Being "sick" may be due to emotional and mental stress as well as physical ailments one suffers.

I have taken "mental health" days when I need them. If I need to be the patient who needs nursed, I do not feel guilty in doing so.

That said, I rarely have called in to work. If I do, I'm truly sick...physically, or emotionally/mentally stressed to the max. :nurse:

I checked "1 to 3 times per year" on the poll.

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First nurses, nurses-2b, etc.....being "sick" does not always imply something is "physically" ailing you.

Being "sick" may be due to emotional and mental stress as well as physical ailments one suffers.

I have taken "mental health" days when I need them. If I need to be the patient who needs nursed, I do not feel guilty in doing so.

That said, I rarely have called in to work. If I do, I'm truly sick...physically, or emotionally/mentally stressed to the max. :nurse:

I checked "1 to 3 times per year" on the poll.

I agree totally with you, oh Cheerful one. I've worked over 20 yrs. and if I call in.....I NEED too. :coollook:

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Specializes in Multiple.

Call in sick? Hmm - even tried to work through a pancreatitis attack - not to be recommended.

We don't get 'sick days' in the UK - we have time we are allowed depending upon our length of service when we get paid for being off sick and then it is reduced to half pay etc. I never want to take the risk of reducing to half pay so I only go off when I absolutely have to.

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

I call in sick when i'm sick. If i called in sick when i'm really not sick, it wouldn't be much of a day to relax, wracked with guilt.

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Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.

Wow, you sure are a conscientious lot! I'm not going to tell you what my answer was, lol.... OTOH, I don't work in a hospital, and the nature of my position is that I have to get my work done, be I out sick for a month of Sundays or just taking a well deserved mental health day once in a while. It just sits there in my in-box and waits for me. When I worked in the hospital and doctor's office, I hardly ever called in. My co-workers would've had to pick up the slack, and I couldn't have afforded it, anyway. Now I'm in a job that offers lots of sick and personal time, but doesn't pay very well.

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I've been in nursing for almost 16 years and have called in three times total for that entire time. Its just a responsibility thing for me...if I'm scheduled to work, then I work.

:yelclap:

I've also been pretty lucky in that I have never had to call off because of automobile problems. I now live close to my employer so if that should happen I would beg someone to come and pick me up and take me in or if the weather is condusive, call to tell them I will be late and ride my bicycle.

I have missed work only twice in my life because of weather. Both times was because of a declared state of emergency that banned me from driving...I was not in healthcare then. I used to drive 50 miles in all weather and had employees who lived a couple miles away call off.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice, Home Health.

It's wrong to leave the hospital short, even for a mental health day...

better to go to the scheduler and work out a deal..."can't do this another day, give me tomorrow off and I'll work on friday." 9 times out of 10 they are accommodating...I've seen them call in agency to cover me so I don't blow a gasket...

linda

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Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
It's wrong to leave the hospital short, even for a mental health day...

better to go to the scheduler and work out a deal..."can't do this another day, give me tomorrow off and I'll work on friday." 9 times out of 10 they are accommodating...I've seen them call in agency to cover me so I don't blow a gasket...

linda

Sorry, I don't know where you work, but when I worked in a hospital, they would have just said tough. If you could work a switch out on your own, that was okay, but it wasn't even that helpful, because it just meant you'd find yourself back in the same situation on the shift for which you switched.... exhausted, overwhelmed, not able to bear it for one minute more.

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I take a couple of mental health days each year. It keeps me from getting burned out. I always check the schedule first to make sure a light day is forecast. I work in the OR.

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

Now i have scheduled personal days for mental health days before.

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If I need it once in 3 months, I try to check staffing. You gotta take care of your self too.

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If I need it once in 3 months, I try to check staffing. You gotta take care of your self too.

Exactly!! Being good to yourself and taking care of yourself, which means knowing when you're maxed out too much to be at work, is essential to maintaining your sanity . I don't see a thing wrong with that. As nurses, we give a lot at work, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sometimes, especially if you have like 2-3 rotten days in a row, you may need to stay home just to recover. In my mind, that totally qualifies as a "sick" day.

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