People calling out for the holidays

SwansonRN · Dec 23, 2012

I wouldn't call out sick just because it's a holiday...but my god am I tempted to. I just wish for a low census and being flexed down, Santa that's my only wish this year. But the best excuse? Stomach flu/food poisoning.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Dec 23, 2012

What sucks is when you really DO get sick over a holiday. It happened to me once, and it has happened to several co-workers with whom I shared a shift while they looked like dog poo (and as a patient I certainly wouldn't want them taking care of me) but couldn't call in sick because it was a holiday. Our facility takes your PDOs, doesn't pay you, and it's considered a fairly serious violation....even if you are legitimately sick. I understand that there are a few people who would abuse it if there weren't a policy against, but norovirus doesn't exactly strike at opportune times.

Blackcat99 · Dec 23, 2012

I had to call in sick on a holiday when I really was physically ill. I felt terrible having to call in sick on a holiday. The worst part about it, was I had joked with friends at work the week before the holiday saying I was going to "call in sick." I will never ever joke about calling in sick on a holiday again. Lesson learned.

allnurses Guide · Dec 23, 2012

I have never gotten sick on a holiday so (I've never had to call in) but considering how we're all treated like liars any other time, I can only imagine how it would be to call in on Christmas!

Helloooo... of course people get sick on the holidays... I mean, is the hospital not full of people who are sick on the holiday!?

But, I guess it all comes back down to those lovely fakers who call in all the time and ruin it for everybody else!

Lol @ Blackcat99... I joke about that, too... You got me thinking that maybe I won't do that anymore!

anotherone, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2012

Onyl the paitents are allowed to get sick and if you become one people think you are faking it. If you are sick you are sick. I only call out with a fever over 101.5 and when i feel that I can not do the work. Then I will call out, whether that is Memorial day or something i don't even celebrate. TOO BAD.

tokmom, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2012

We have one co-worker that says she is going to call in sick with every holiday she works. Last year I was not sure if she was going to call in or not, so I was sort of on call in case they were going to pull a nurse out of my job and put her on the floor. I would then have to go in.

No glass of wine for me that year. :no:

The worst excuse? Some lengthy whine about having a cold. Pretty much the same one they used a few weeks before, and a few months before, etc..

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 24, 2012

I'll never forget the year I had the flu on Christmas Day. I called in to work (I worked 3-11) and got to talk to the manager. (We called them head nurses in those days). She told me that if I was really sick, I should come in to the ER and be evaluated. If I was too sick to work, they'd send me home . . . otherwise I'd be in disciplinary status. I dragged myself in to the ER with a fever (temp of 102) and chills, laryngitis and a cough that would not quit. Guess what -- I wasn't too sick to work! They sent me up to the unit, and I dragged myself through my 8 hour shift. Thank the good lord it wasn't a 12!

Of course for weeks afterward, my colleagues complained that I had given them the flu!

amygarside · Dec 24, 2012

It can really be tempting to call out sick or to pretend there are emergencies so you would not go to work, but I believe that nurses have a responsibility to uphold.

Calabria, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2012

It can really be tempting to call out sick or to pretend there are emergencies so you would not go to work, but I believe that nurses have a responsibility to uphold.

Yes, a responsibility to take care of themselves, and to keep themselves from spreading their own contagious illnesses to patients and other staff. I'll never forget how thankful I felt when I caught norovirus in a hospital-wide outbreak, and nearly fainted in my apartment from dehydration. "Patient zero" was a medical student who refused to stay home sick, and came to the oncology floor for his assignment. He spread his illness not only to the unit's staff, but also to several immunocompromised patients... and then the bug spread to the entire hospital.

I get 5 sick days per year, so I need to use them wisely. And I don't have any reason to take FMLA, so I can't burn that even if I wanted to do so. Unfortunately, playing hooky on a holiday usually isn't in the cards as a result. I would call out on a holiday if I was truly sick, which luckily hasn't happened to me yet.

SinikRN101 · Dec 24, 2012

I don't understand why patients and admin don't think nurses aren't people too? Like we can't get sick. This year, on Valentine's Day I was scheduled to work. My hubby and I don't even try to do anything on Valentines so it's no big deal, his birthday is around that time so we celebrate then and do it all together. But I called off on Valentine's Day (legitimately puking) and they completely acted like I was lying to get the day off. I understand there are fakers out there that want every holiday off.... but when you rack up holiday hours 40+ holiday hours on my checks for the year, not including the ones we aren't paid for like halloween and valentines... they need to be more understanding when it isn't a habit.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2012

I don't understand why patients and admin don't think nurses aren't people too?

Perhaps it's because they (patients and admin) view nurses as objects to be tossed around, manipulated, chewed up, and spit out.