Should I call off?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a BSN student working at a nursing home since June as a CNA. I have never called off from work for being sick until now, and am only consciously thinking so because this is my first healthcare related job. Anyways I am working 2nd shift tomorrow. I am achy, coughing, sneezing, have a headache and a fever of 99.8 (or close to a fever). There are a lot of sick people at the facility currently, both patients and staff. I am unsure of my ability to work effectively, and really don't want to spread it around. Is calling off okay? I don't want to be a sissy or anything, but I am sure if I go to work in my current state, I will infect someone. I'm gonna wait till tomorrow morning to be sure, but I'm not sure where to go on this.

Thanks for any help you can give.

If it was me and I was having your symptoms, I would go ahead and call out now. Just call, don't give a long explanation, just say you're calling out for your shift bc you're sick and be done with it. 😊👍

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Specializes in Critical Care, Postpartum.
Should I call in tonight? I feel like that's too early.

Word of advice: know your unit's policy regarding times to appropriately call out.

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I got turned down. She said to call in tomorrow morning. Said it was too early for a "priority" call off or something. She sounded like she didn't believe me though. Maybe its just me. Idk.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

If you chicken out on calling in, at least wear a mask the ENTIRE shift! (I tend to chicken out when calling in but I would wear a mask even if it wasn't Flu season and I was coughing/sneezing/potential fever)...feel better soon! :snurse:

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If you are sick, call out and get an excuse note from your doctor. There is no need to feel bad. You need to take care of yourself.

But don't go see your doctor! Don't infect people in the waiting room or waste the office time for a note. You are sick. If your job requires a note, then management needs education about limiting sick exposures and appropriate use of healthcare dollars!

Hydrate. Rest. Get better soon!!

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

Call in today around noon (you said you work 2nd shift so I'm assuming 3-11?). Anyway, call in about 4 hours ahead. Say "this is So&so, I'm calling in sick for my scheduled shift today." No need to elaborate.

If they ask, which they should not, say you feel like crap and were up all night coughing and stuff. Do not get bullied into going in! Be strong and use you earned sick time.

And get better soon!

Sent from my iPhone -- blame all errors on spellcheck

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

I hope u feel better soon! Take it easy and make sure u stay hydrated.

Anne, RNC

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Actually, I am occasional. So I don't get paid sick days. But at the same time that means I have no reason to play hookie.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

If you are sick you are sick. Call in.

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Actually, I am occasional. So I don't get paid sick days. But at the same time that means I have no reason to play hookie.

It doesn't necessarily mean that, but it doesn't matter. If you are ill, please take care of yourself. We are so hard on ourselves because we work in a 24/7 line of work, we don't want patients or coworkers to suffer because we are absent, even if we need to be in bed ourselves with hot tea, heating blanket, sleeping, resting and recuperating.

You have to learn sometime how to withstand suspicious supervisors and evil-thinking staffing coordinators, this might as well be it.

I do understand their pain, I just don't appreciate it when they try to bully you into working because staffing is short. I know staffing can be really, really hard, but that is when they need to have Agency nurses at the ready - for use as backup staffing during times of bad weather, epidemics, and the like. They just are hounded by their bosses to keep costs low. I understand. I quit feeling sorry for them some time ago, though, out of a sheer need to survive, not because I'm hard-hearted. You do the same. It's a no-win situation. Good luck.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
But don't go see your doctor! Don't infect people in the waiting room or waste the office time for a note. You are sick. If your job requires a note, then management needs education about limiting sick exposures and appropriate use of healthcare dollars!

Hydrate. Rest. Get better soon!!

I know, right? For me at least, 19/20 illnesses are viral. I'm NOT dragging myself out of bed, spending our healthcare dollars, or exposing the rest of the waiting room to my germs only to be told, "It's viral. You have to ride it out. Get lots of rest and fluids."

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Actually, I am occasional. So I don't get paid sick days. But at the same time that means I have no reason to play hookie.

In any case, if you are sick it is NOT appropriate to go to work. You need to take care of yourself, and you are NOT going to get a bonus for martyrdom...er, working while sick. You will be sick longer if you don't rest, anyway.

If it makes you feel any better, I took FIVE sick days (well, 4.5) in the past month!! Two days for myself when I got influenza, two days when my daughter got influenza...I'm the part-time worker in my family. I'm one of dozens; my husband is the CFO of his company. He's not more important than I am, but he IS less replaceable for the day than I am. Besides, most little kids want their mama when they're sick. I had the PTO hours. So I stayed home w/ my child. And then two weeks later, I got a stomach virus. I did try to go in and wore a mask/gloves, but I spent the next 3 hours trying not to vomit and getting so weak and sore that I could NOT go on working. (ETA: I have worked while in labor...so that's saying something that I could NOT work while feeling like that.) I'm a 3-11'er where most of my colleagues do 12 hours, so early in the shift I asked my charge what staffing for 7p-7a looked like b/c I needed to go home sick. I sincerely did feel bad because of taking so many days in a short time, but you know what? I was sick and it was not appropriate for me to be working! And this amount of calling off is not the norm...I've never, ever had to deal with so much sickness in such a short time before.

You have to learn sometime how to withstand suspicious supervisors and evil-thinking staffing coordinators, this might as well be it.

I do understand their pain, I just don't appreciate it when they try to bully you into working because staffing is short. I know staffing can be really, really hard, but that is when they need to have Agency nurses at the ready - for use as backup staffing during times of bad weather, epidemics, and the like.

THIS!! ^^^ "A failure to plan on your (staffing/mid mgmt) part does not constitute an emergency on my (Rocktheman) part." Working the floor is your job. Staffing is theirs. They have been at this a while, and know that nurses and CNAs get sick and have to call off. It's staffing's job to work with this.

I hope you feel better soon!!

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