I hate fake call outs.

Published

I am a nurse.

On my off days, I make sure that I am getting plenty of rest, because I am a nurse and my duties at the floor requires my full attention.

So when I have to come in during my "off days" so that one of you who mysteriously calls out sick for the entire weekend, placing a call on Friday afternoon saying that you will be sick on Saturday and Sunday..

have no doubt that you have caused ill feelings and I hope that your words will come true for you. ?

I'm just not mean enough to place a "sick call" on the day that you're scheduled to be "on call." Maybe I would, but no..I'm not that mean. Although, it would be sweet. To see a cluster of your "off days," and placing a sick call just to get even with you.

But I live with a honor system. So what do I do? I join Allnurses to rant my feelings here.

I'm just ranting as you guys can see.

But my mood is much better after ranting here on Allnurses. I specifically joined to rant about this (have been a lurker on this site for awhile).

And you're right Klone. I take back "hoping" for the "person who called sick" to be "sick." Can I just hope for Karma to embrace them? ?

I actually started a log-journal of the unit call outs. Who/When/and when was the unit notified.

I'm going to gather data on this and let it accumulate for awhile, and just take it up the management's chain.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
43 minutes ago, KonichiwaRN said:

But my mood is much better after ranting here on Allnurses. I specifically joined to rant about this (have been a lurker on this site for awhile).

And you're right Klone. I take back "hoping" for the "person who called sick" to be "sick." Can I just hope for Karma to embrace them? ?

I actually started a log-journal of the unit call outs. Who/When/and when was the unit notified.

I'm going to gather data on this and let it accumulate for awhile, and just take it up the management's chain.

I think that’s extremely petty, time consuming, energy draining, and at the end of the day it’s not your responsibility or possibly even your business - as others have mentioned in this thread, there may be a lot of behind the scenes information that you aren’t privy to, such as FMLA, active disciplinary action, etc.

I totally understand the frustration of course. Most of us do. But between your repeated comments of hoping they seriously get ill, as well as going as far as to keeping a log of other people’s call outs, I would suggest you just focus on yourself instead of others. Yes it effects you, but you seem to be wasting more energy on it than it deserves.

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Agree. ? I feel much better after ranting about it here.

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Specializes in Primary Care, LTC, Private Duty.
On 4/27/2019 at 7:54 PM, KonichiwaRN said:

But my mood is much better after ranting here on Allnurses. I specifically joined to rant about this (have been a lurker on this site for awhile).

And you're right Klone. I take back "hoping" for the "person who called sick" to be "sick." Can I just hope for Karma to embrace them? ?

I actually started a log-journal of the unit call outs. Who/When/and when was the unit notified.

I'm going to gather data on this and let it accumulate for awhile, and just take it up the management's chain.

It feels good to do that in the short-run, I'll admit to having done something similar (keeping the log) myself. But management knows. Let that sink in. They know. It's their job to already keep track of things like this. So, that leaves you with two options...they know, and they're taking whatever prudent action behind the scenes (because they're not allowed to disclose to just anyone about another employee)...or they know, and they just can't be bothered to do anything about it (for fear of retribution from the terminated employee [i.e. the good ol' "I'll sue!!"], for fear of not being able to fill the terminated employee's position [happens a lot with CNAs in LTC...they'll keep the duds just to have warm bodies], or they're afraid they'll step on too many toes [like if the problem employee is a friend of one of the higher ups...I've seen that happen, too], or for some other reason.

However...I'm telling you now, from experience, that if you become the squeaky wheel over this, complaining too much to the wrong people (i.e. management or to those who have the ears of management), or bringing your log to the manager, then you will be the one to end up with the target on your back. It's not right and it's not fair, but that's what happens. Managers don't like to feel like others are telling them how to do their job or to feel like they have a gossip/complainer in their midst that's going to stir the pot. Even though you're not the one causing the morale issue with frequent call outs in the first place, they'll end up gunning for you in the end.

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I agree. Forgot for a moment that weirdly, the "secure forces" seem to exist for the nurses who

a) always calls out

b) always arrives late (alright. not always. five out of ten times)

c) always is using their cell phones

It's strange, but I have seen this across units.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
8 hours ago, morelostthanfound said:

. It's "can you come in extra on your day off? Work over....? Then they start in with the guilt and the character assassinations, "some nurses just want to do their forty hours a week and won't help out"-translation, "those lazy sacs of s&$t, disloyal, no good nurses that just want to work their forty hours...... Then, don't get me started on the complete disregard that these faker nurses have for their own coworkers when a substitute can't be found and their absences will likely result in the nurses on duty having double the patient load and responsibility-thanks!

Management doesn't like the lazy sacks who won't work past their 40 hours a week? Then why don't they deal with the really lazy sacks who won't even work their 40 hours a week?

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I'd be willing to bet the OP would be a lot more forgiving if a frequent caller-out would acknowledge the inconvenience she created. Wouldn't it be nice if someone said "I'm so sorry I had to call out on a weekend and ruin yours. Thank you for covering."?

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My hospital doesn’t give full annual raises for more than 4% call ins. Really cuts down on them I tell ya!

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Specializes in NICU.

One call out =one occurrence whether it is one day or five in a row.there are two fold sectors.and the time line of when you last called.This is a legitimate union contract agreement for the purpose of evaluations counting against those legitimately ill, so if you have the flu and you are out 5 days ,it is not five times absent counted against you but one occurrence.

I have seen the fakers get caught,and fired for being seen on Facebook at a party or whatever.

Many nurses also call in due to a poorly made schedule that gives no time for medical appointments etc.

I have seen vindictive staff call out whenever their sworn enemy would be overwhelmed.........

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I'm still ticked that my former nurse colleague, and good friend outside of work, used her FMLA as an excuse to take weekend days off even though she wasn't sick. She had a new boyfriend and her social life with the butthole was her priority. I would get texts from her saying she called in and was at a strip club....or she was too drunk to work....or she was partying out of town....or the tires on her car were removed by him so she couldn't drive anywhere. Karma eventually bit her in the butt and continues to do so to this day.

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I just can't get my head around how people who habitually call off (without an ongoing, legitimate medical reason or sick family member) could have such absolute disregard for their coworkers. They call in knowing full well that their peers are going to be working short and doing double duty. Is this behavior motivated by lack of professional integrity, narcissism, or just not giving a damn?

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8 minutes ago, morelostthanfound said:

I just can't get my head around how people who habitually call off (without an ongoing, legitimate medical reason or sick family member) could have such absolute disregard for their coworkers. They call in knowing full well that their peers are going to be working short and doing double duty. Is this behavior motivated by lack of professional integrity, narcissism, or just not giving a damn?

Straight up narcissism in the case of my friend. Her excuse to me was "Life's too short." She could not have cared less about the extra work and overtime we had because of her calls out.

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