new,sick nurse needs advice

Nurses Stress 101

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Hello, I could use some advice please. I am a brand new nurse and I have....something that has me feeling horrible. Here's the situation:

1. In 4th of 6 weeks of orientation to a med surg floor.

2. After 3 weeks of day shift (yuk), worked three 12 hr shifts W-TH-F, and loved it.

3. Sun., started to feel sick, yesterday felt horrible, today feel better but still weak.

4. Have a low grade fever, intermit. cough,sore throat, aches, "fuzzy-head" feeling. Dry, stuffy nose, not running.

Don't want to start off new job by calling in sick 4th week, don't want to go in sick and take care of post-op pts and feel cranky and horrible.

Not looking for permission to stay home, looking for honest advice. Gotta call by Wed afternoon. Thank you!

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Knowing when to call in sick is something I've wrestled with since I graduated. There are so many factors at play.

Generally, if you've got a fever it's best not to go in. If you work with high acuity, immunocompromised patients and infants, you'll be taking greater care in your decision.

I wish I could say that your unit managers will back you up if you feel it would be unsafe to work while you are sick, but I've heard of some pretty brutal tactics used by unsympathetic managers who only want their short staffing problem solved, period.

I'm hoping you have taken a pretty good read on your facilities sick time policies in general, and are lucky enough to have the supportive type at your hospital.

In my first 3 months as a nurse I was sick more often, and more severely than any time in my life. My completely unscientific theory is that I was exposed to bugs my immune system had not handled before, and after another few months I never got sick, except the time I got food poisoning from the creamed spinach in the cafeteria and barfed my guts out for 10 hours.

Sorry I can't offer anything more specific, but hopefully others will share their experiences. Hope you're feeling better by the time of your next shift! :)

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Specializes in mental health, military nursing.

If you have a fever above 100.8 (without taking fever reducers), do not go in. No ifs, ands, or buts. If your manager gives you a hard time, call the employee health nurse and they'll back you up. As my facility's employee health/IC nurse, I'll even have employees stop by half an hour before their shift to determine whether they can work - some of them hate to call off!

It's not worth it to make your patients ill, or to risk errors because you're fuzzy-headed and ill. Take care of yourself first!

Feel better :)

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