Sick Leave

Sometimes nurses do get sick at the same time. They come to work sick as do the CNAs and then everyone passes it on to everyone else. This isn't all too unusual. It's also the reason why I wish sick employees would stay home. If they call out sick on a holiday I guess they could then make them work the next holiday. That would be fair.

We don't need a note unless we are out sick for 3 consecutive days. If we had that lame policy about being out once and needing a note I bet my doctor would write me one too as a professional courtesy.

What is a fair policy hospitals can use to regulate sick time? How about having enough staff to cover a shift should someone call in sick? Just kidding...

But seriously, one facilty where I worked had a policy where if you called in sick on a scheduled holiday, that you would have to work the next unscheduled holiday - no ifs, ands, or buts...

People get sick and can't help it. Once I was sick with N/V + fever and was lying on the bathroom floor while my husband called in for me, 6 hours before the start of my shift. That day, 10 other nurses called in sick also. Were we all out partying the night before and were now hungover? Nope. Could it be possible that since we all work closely together, that some nasty virus was easily spread between patients and staff and now we were all sick? Yup. And believe me, that bout of gastroenteritis was absolutely MISERABLE; thank god for zofran!

Where I used to work, we only had PTO time and could use it however we chose (sick pay, holiday pay, vacation pay). How about this: instead of looking at just sick call-ins, also look at job performance and incorporate peer reviews in yearly evals. Are coworkers going to give a good peer review if a collegue is abusing sick time? Probably not. There will always be people that abuse the system, but it isn't fair to make someone who is truly ill feel guilty about picking up the phone to call in sick. I would be furious if I was a patient and my nurse was coughing/hacking all over me.

So yeah, look at job performance; for excessive absences, discuss the situation with the employee 1:1 and if it is considered to be excessive (for example, more than 5 sick days in a year), ask that they bring in a doctors note for each future absence as well as a statement that they were cleared to come back to work. I would have no problem doing that if I was ill multiple times in a year. I would not think it would be fair to demand that for one or two absences though, but sometimes people really are ill and you gotta give a little to get a little.

I say institute a mandatory timeframe for call-ins (ie at least 3 hours before the start of their next shift). Also institute what would be considered "excessive absences", and evaluate each employee's record individually. Have "perks" for employees that go above and beyond, such as volunteering to come in when someone is sick, or staying late for the end of their shift because someone called in. Make sure your employees are happy (safe patient ratios, breaks, appreciation from management), because happy employees want to go to work in an environment where they enjoy working. And I personally feel that if an employee should call in sick on their scheduled holiday, that they be required to work the next holiday - its only fair.

I've never had a job that offered sick leave is why I ask. Prior jobs (not in a hospital) if you called in sick you didn't get paid.

What is a fair policy hospitals can use to regulate sick time? How about having enough staff to cover a shift should someone call in sick? Just kidding...

That's actually very true. They should be better prepared so that 2 nurses calling out doesn't make everything turn to crap like we all know it does. Have a good relationship with a local agency and be willing to spend some extra bucks as needed to help your nurses out. It would go a long way to retaining them.

I was told a couple weeks ago a nurse was called in to work the entire floor alone because 5 nurses called in.

I was told a couple weeks ago a nurse was called in to work the entire floor alone because 5 nurses called in.

I would never accept an assignment where I was doing the work of 6 nurses. I wouldn't risk my license or put my patients in harm's way which this clearly would.

Funny you say that. One of the nurses who was talking about it said the exact same thing almost word for word.

Funny you say that. One of the nurses who was talking about it said the exact same thing almost word for word.

It's what ALL nurses should say. That's just completely unacceptable.

It's what ALL nurses should say. That's just completely unacceptable.

But someone will do it, because they want to be the "golden child" per say. Unfortunatly in my few years of working in a hosp system I see the preferential treatment given to those who will do what others wont do even if it is dangerous.

Mgmt cares about staffing in the fact that as long as the floor is covered, it doesnt matter who is covering it.