Should I work tomorrow?

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So Wednesday night I started having a low grade fever (99.6 F), body aches, chills, sinus drainage, and fatigue. I was off Thursday and Friday with the same symptoms. I was encouraged by my other nurse friends to call in sick today so I did. I still have the same low grade temp but my other symptoms are slightly better. I know a fever is technically anything higher than 100.4. I felt guilty calling in today. I work in the medical ICU so I'm around very sick patients.

I'm really debating on whether or not I should work tomorrow or call in again. I don't want to call in and have to pay $50 to see a doctor to tell me to drink lots of fluids and rest so I can get a work excuse.

What should I do??

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Depends on your policy. Our policy on sick time makes it not in our best interest to try to come in to work when we possibly may have to miss work if we end up being sicker than we think. We must use 2 PTO days before our sick pay starts. If we clock in even for a small portion of a shift and then find that we are too sick to work it becomes a new occurrence. And we would have to burn 2 more pto days before we get sick pay. Always good to consider... if I'm ever calling in sick, I make sure I'm 100% recovered before I come back. Common sense doesn't prevail in the hospital policy book.

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Some places will requires note after 3 absences and some will also require you to file for FMLA after so many consecutive days. You need to know your policy.

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Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

If you were one of the ICU patients, what would you want the nurse with your symptoms to do?

And, we can't give medical advice here.

Hope you feel better soon!

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

This is simple. Do what is best for your patients and you...that is do not work until you are better and feeling and functioning normally.

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You need a note from a Dr to miss work? Lame.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

If you do go to work, take some extra precautions like wearing a mask to help contain your germs if needed.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Ok, you know I have to say this: it's against the Terms of Service for us to give medical advice. You should contact your primary care provider if you have questions about your health.

That being said...if you have health insurance, see if your insurance provider has a nurse hotline. If they do, you can call it and bounce your symptoms off of the nurse, and he/she can advise you on the best course of action. I've used the hotline that came with my insurance for both myself and my little ones. It has occasionally saved me the trip to the doctor's office.

Feel better.

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Ok, you know I have to say this: it's against the Terms of Service for us to give medical advice. You should contact your primary care provider if you have questions about your health.

That being said...if you have health insurance, see if your insurance provider has a nurse hotline. If they do, you can call it and bounce your symptoms off of the nurse, and he/she can advise you on the best course of action. I've used the hotline that came with my insurance for both myself and my little ones. It has occasionally saved me the trip to the doctor's office.

Feel better.

I missed it...who was asking for or giving medical advice?

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I don't call out until I'm 100.

If I've made the decision to go to work, I don't check my temp again until I'm back home.

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The bottom feeding facility where I work is so horrible that they can't get any sane person to stay there. It is not uncommon for a new orientee to say they are 'going on their lunch breaks" the first day and never come back. So I can't call in because that means if one of the management slave drivers has to take the keys and actually do some real, physical work by working the floor, they will get even by writing you up, harassing you, or getting you terminated for having the audacity to get sick or injured. I have to go to work no matter what

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I am not a nurse (yet), but I can say as someone who has been in the hospital a few times, I'd be very upset to notice that a nurse was sick. If I'm at the hospital (or anywhere else I'm not feeling well), I'm already having problems. The possibility of sick on top of it would greatly annoy me.

But I also get irritated if I see people with colds coming into any job, especially public-facing. At the same time, I know that sick days are limited or nonexistent at many jobs and people have to pay their bills. I think I'm more annoyed at our system in this country where people don't get paid time off (or not enough) to take sick days when they are ill. Or that their jobs may be at stake because they are trying not to spread their illness around to the whole world. :(

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