RN never feels guilty when calling out

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Why in the world would anyone feel bad about calling out sick?? Management does't feel bad when they allow u to work short, dump extra work on you and do not mind writting you up when you call out sick. The CEO doesn't feel guilty when he brings home 200k/yr and ******* & moans about giving us a 25 cent raise. Its sickening when I hear people say that. Give me a break! They tell us to stay home when we are sick but when we do they write us up. Its a job people and we work to live, we do not live to work.

I don't feel guilty but I have to be very symptomatic, which fortunately is rare, before I'll leave my coworkers and wonderful director scrambling to cover me. Not guilty but not indifferent either.

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10:44 am by MatrixRn, BSN

Quote from klone

Well, she's from New Jersey, so...

And that means what? I am not sure what you are eluding to.

As to calling out, if I am sick I call out. No guilt.

I think she's alluding to OP's second post, where apparently being from NJ does have something to do with it.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
Well, she's from New Jersey, so...
Hey! I'm from Jersey, too.

What's the issue?

I think you're knocking all our nurses. Low blow.

I don't get the connection, but I get the sentiment. Like I said, low blow.

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Hey! I'm from Jersey, too.

What's the issue?

I think you're knocking all our nurses. Low blow.

I don't get the connection, but I get the sentiment. Like I said, low blow.

OP:

Well that's mighty kind of u but I'm from NJ and no one here gives a heck how u feel as long as u come in. What they say and what they expect are 2 different things. I am NOT a per diem. I am a full timer on 12 hour shifts and find myself coming to work sick as a dog to a floor that was short staffed to begin with. So no guilt here, EVER

Klone can certainly speak for herself but I think it was the nonsensical hyperbole by OP.

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Specializes in Pedi.
Your CEO only makes $200k?

Right? When I worked in the hospital, our CEO got a bonus worth over $700K. His salary was around $2 million. His bonus was enough for 10 full-time RNs yet the hospital was always telling us how we couldn't afford to hire more nurses or even replace those who left.

To the OP- I highly doubt anyone feels guilt towards the CEO or management when they call out. Most of us know what it's like to work short or to be mandated to stay when someone calls out and we feel empathy for our colleagues who will have to do it.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Knock wood I have not called out sick in years. I am pretty healthy. And yes when I did, I felt guilty, knowing the futility of them calling for a replacement and knowing the hardship it would place on my coworkers. It's really rough when someone calls out sick where I work, because we begin work so early and it's just about impossible to find a replacement for a sick call.

It really had nothing to do with what the CEO would be making for me. I cared about my coworkers.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
And that means what? I am not sure what you are eluding to.

I was eluding to her second post in this thread:

Well that's mighty kind of u but I'm from NJ and no one here gives a heck how u feel as long as u come in.
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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I think you're knocking all our nurses. Low blow.

Nope, I really wasn't. I have no opinion about New Jersey and their nurses, good, bad or otherwise. Apparently the OP thinks that it excuses or explains her coworkers' behavior, however. Not really sure, as the comment just kind of raised my eyebrow and made me go "Heh?"

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

Where I work it's not the sick days that count, it's the sick occurrences. If you're out three consecutive days it's counted as one occurrence. Four occurrences within one rolling year would generate a verbal warning, five occurrences within one rolling year would generate a progressive written warning. Six occurrences within a year would be cause for termination. That's calling in every other month for a year after two warnings telling you to knock it off. That does not seem unreasonable to expect of a professional healthcare worker. Is that really so hard to do?

You are not as replaceable on short notice as you may think and you place a hardship on the people that are counting on you to do your job just as you expect them to do theirs.

I feel guilty letting my buddies down because in my unit there is no replacement coming from a float pool so I come in when I'm feeling marginal. If I'm really sick I have no problem calling in because I know I'm saving them from putting up with me as I am a bit grumpy when I feel like ****.

Working 12 hr shifts means you can call out sick once and have 10 days off to get over it.

Why would a CEO's salary have any bearing on your calling in sick??? If you don't care about your workmates then the only one suffering is you. You show a trend of unreliability and you will be replaced permanently with some one more reliable.

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AI am not sure what you are eluding to.

​Alluding.

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I only feel guilty for myself. We only get three call outs a year before disciplinary action starts. I am terrified of using mine... what if I used one for something only a little horrible and then got laid out with a bad case of norovirus a week later?

That's my guilt. I never feel like I am sick "enough" to take a sick day because I get so few of them. Took one last October when I had projectile vomiting/diarrhea, now I only have two sick days left until that one falls off this October. You better believe if I am not actively dying, I am showing up to work.

Sounds like we work for the exact same health system! So frustrating!

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Everyone calls out where I work. Sick or not. If PTO isn't granted and other employees can't switch, and if there is something that can't be changed like expensive show tickets, family weddings, etc, they call in. That's the culture and we all do it.

Some are careless however and post on Facebook where they are or tell people the day before 'I'm calling out tomorrow because of X' if they couldn't get the day switched. I at least try to be discreet.

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