Is anyones facility so short staffed that they feel guilty calling in sick?

Youda · Oct 13, 2002

Why do you feel guilty for taking care of yourself?

Some thoughts:

Women are taught that it's noble to self-sacrifice for others.

People are taught that thinking of yourself is "selfish" and therefore ungodly and evil.

Nurses are taught that their patients come first, even if it injures the nurse, and if so, you get to be a welfare hero.

Management teaches employees to be responsible for covering up bad staffing by working harder and longer.

Now are all these lessons really valid?

"Healthy" self-interest is much better than martyrdom!

duckie · Oct 13, 2002

I always feel guilty when I call off, no matter what the reason is. On Monday I found out I had pnuemonia, and I felt very guilty about calling off. But I was so weak I could hardly move so I know I certainly would have been of no use to anyone, not to mention, was this contagious, so I called off. My normal days off are Mon. & Tues., so my first call off day was Wed. Wed. night I called and talked to my Supervisor, told her I still couldn't come in. I cried both days as hubby left for work without me. Friday comes and I'm still weak as a kitten, hardly able to stop coughing and breathing was a chore. I'm very lucky, my Supervisor took the decision out of my hands and said I was off the schedule all weekend, to sleep, take my meds and get better. I don't have to go back to work till Wed. and by then I know I'll be in much better shape but the whole point is, my heart is there. I have a resident that is critical. It should be me there holding her hand, comforting her, loving her.......my heart is at work, even though my body is still very weak and weary. Nothing makes me madder than these people that call off because "it's my child's first Christmas" or some other dumb excuse and the kid is less than a year old and will sleep the day away anyhow. I have CNA's that like to party and I tell them, this ain't McDonalds, if you cannot be responsible, get out. These are people not hamburgers and they need care all the time, not just when you have the time. I put my heart and soul into my job and I expect no less from those I work with. The people we care for deserve to be treated with the deepest of respect and calling off because you partied to much the night before does not show respect.

legsmalone, RN · Oct 13, 2002

You can't feel guilty, we are patient advocates and IMHO the best way to protect our patients is not to give them what we have or be so sick we make a mistake. As I sit here tonight, I myself am not at work due to bronchitis. I am too worn out and too dependent on my codiene and phenergan cough syrup to be effective on the floor. I am lucky to only be an extern, the floor won't be short staffed without me, however, even if I was staff, I would have to call in, not only for me but for my patients.

Now I am off to take another swig o' syrup (this is great stuff!)

live4today, RN · Oct 13, 2002

Guilt does the body "NO GOOD". :nono:

Get well so you can be at your 100% best....then, return to work.

No sick patient wants a sick nurse taking care of them.

You do yourselves and your patients a favor by only reporting to work when you are at your utmost best! :nurse:

Whenever I got sick.....I stayed home and nursed myself back to wellness....didn't hesitate to see a doc if I couldn't make myself feel better, and certainly didn't go to work sick. :nono: It is NOT a nurse's fault if the hospital is so short staffed that they can only beg sick staff members to work for them. Nurses need to learn that caring for themselves is far more important than caring for others because if you don't stay at your utmost best, how can you possibly give your patients your utmost best? What kind of message are you sending to your patients by going to work sick? The world doesn't need any more martyrs......Lord knows nursing has plenty of them already.....past and present. :chuckle

Stay home....apply your nursing judgement on yourselves first. :nurse:

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Oct 13, 2002

I agree I never felt guilty. And I have also called in on occassion when I just couldn't face going in another day.

I had a nurse once tell me, angrily b/c I had been out a few days while my son was in the hospital, that she once "had" to leave her newborn with her ten-year-old son b/c "there was no one else to work" on a weekend. I just cannot relate to that way of thinking at all. I think she had a few screws loose personally.

We are human first and nurses second. Hospitals should have a back-up plan for such emergencies in staffing. if they don't, that is admin's stupidity and their problem. They should PAY you on-call if you are constantly called in on your "day off."

I am no nursing martyr. When I work, I give my 200%, when I am off, I am off, and unless I want extra money, you will NOT find me at work on my days off!!

Genista, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2002

I used to have the martyr syndrome too, "Oh, I'll work even if I have one foot in the grave." LOL!

Not anymore! If nursing has taught me anything, it's that I don't have to be a doormat, and I don't have to pretend that I'm super human. You know how I learned that hard lesson? I put myself last all the time... until I finally realized, that if I don't take care of myself, nobody else will! And that's the truth. Nurses are human beings too!

I've noticed in nursing that we are expected to deny our needs. We perpetuate myths like the one that we have no need to eat lunch, and no need to use the bathroom, and yes, I can work even when I feel sick as a dog. It's actually a very unhealthy climate to work in, and you need to take a step back and look at what you are doing to yourself and your peers by engaging in this type of behavior.

Why are YOU any less important than your sick patients in their beds? I have worked alongside coworkers who looked so ill, they were like death warmed over & not doing a good job taking care of patients at that. I would feel angry at them for coming in to work. It does nobody any good- not for you & not for the patients.

Do yourself a favor & stay home if you are ill!

I called in one time when I was really sick, and did the supervisor say,"Hey hope you're feeling better?" or perhaps, "Sorry you're not feeling well..."

Heck no! She snapped, "OH Damn! Now I have to find SOMEONE else! Are you SURE you're sick? Well, okay, then."

The NERVE!!!!!!!!

Another time, I had a coworker who was so sick she was actually hospitalized in our own hospital. I was lead nurse and told staffing that even though they had her on the next day's schedule, she wouldn't be in to work, b/c she was "inpatient." They argued my point. I told them,"Hey, she's a PATIENT! Look her up in the computer! I can guarantee she won't be working tomorrow!" We joked at the nurses station about how management was going to assign her to herself for the next day. LOL!

Don't fall into that trap of treating yourself like a second class citizen. Having sick & infectious nurses taking care of ill patients is not a good idea. And besides, you are human too & deserve time to heal and recover.

If you're sick, call in sick. Don't let anyone give you sh*t about it, either!!!!!!!!!

rebelwaclause, ASN, RN · Oct 13, 2002

I NEVER feel guilty. I would only feel guilty if I went to work sick and potentially infect ill patients or if I felt I was so burned-out that I would not be able to render appropriate care to my assigned patients or colleagues. No good there.

"Its all about the patient"

ANnot4me · Oct 14, 2002

Wow! I'm freaking out! In my opinion, anyone who would leave a newborn with a 10 year old is way off in the bean and probably should not have children or a license. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but I don't think so.

Youda · Oct 14, 2002

If you heard the word "should" in your mind or from someone else's mouth, BEWARE! You are being handed a guilt trip and you are being JUDGED. Make your own decisions, don't let others shame you out of taking care of yourself.

If you fall into this trap, IMHO, YOU need some serious psych help!

CJones · Oct 14, 2002

yes. Nobody to cover usually. but dead to the word - well duh - no way

hapeewendy · Oct 14, 2002

would all of you martyrs and hero's please SPARE ME!

get out of your delusional mindset that it somehow benefits someone (yourself, patients, co workers whomever) for you to come into work when you are ill!

contagious or not isnt the issue, I wouldnt want my nurse coming into work when shes feeling ill ,just predisposing her to a.having to leave early and therefore dumping her half finished work on others or b.making a mistake cuz shes feeling too crappy to think straight.

maybe I come across as b*tchy on this one but it reallllllllllly annoys me to no end when people try to be all heroic when infact they are doing the dumbest thing imagineable!

your patients do not want to be exposed to your germs, your co workers certainly dont want to have to pick up for your slack and you should realize being a nurse and all that you need to rest when you are sick!

a unit administrator attempted to make me feel bad for calling in and called me at home no less questioning my responsibility and wondering why i was off sick , none of her business and I took it straight to Human Resources......

nurses are not robots out to just serve the public mindlessly okay, we are human , get sick!

those of you that play the martyr all the time simply cause management to continue to place UNREALISTIC and downright silly expectations on the rest of us.

"if so and so came in when they were sick why cant you?" etc etc

my response would typically be "because so and so is a dumbass and I'm not"

smarten up, get some chicken soup, sleep in and recouperate so that when you do go back you can give 100% of your efforts to your patients!

cargal · Oct 14, 2002

Originally posted by hapeewendy
would all of you martyrs and hero's please SPARE ME!
get out of your delusional mindset that it somehow benefits someone (yourself, patients, co workers whomever) for you to come into work when you are ill!
contagious or not isnt the issue, I wouldnt want my nurse coming into work when shes feeling ill ,just predisposing her to a.having to leave early and therefore dumping her half finished work on others or b.making a mistake cuz shes feeling too crappy to think straight.
maybe I come across as b*tchy on this one but it reallllllllllly annoys me to no end when people try to be all heroic when infact they are doing the dumbest thing imagineable!

your patients do not want to be exposed to your germs, your co workers certainly dont want to have to pick up for your slack and you should realize being a nurse and all that you need to rest when you are sick!

a unit administrator attempted to make me feel bad for calling in and called me at home no less questioning my responsibility and wondering why i was off sick , none of her business and I took it straight to Human Resources......

nurses are not robots out to just serve the public mindlessly okay, we are human , get sick!

those of you that play the martyr all the time simply cause management to continue to place UNREALISTIC and downright silly expectations on the rest of us.
"if so and so came in when they were sick why cant you?" etc etc
my response would typically be "because so and so is a dumbass and I'm not"
smarten up, get some chicken soup, sleep in and recouperate so that when you do go back you can give 100% of your efforts to your patients!

Amen, Happeewendy!

LMAO, Drew!