Strep - Call in or go anyways?

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OK, here's the short version: fiance didn't feel well this morning, went to urgent care and tested positive for strep and got abx. I felt fine until this evening when I noticed I have a dry scratchy feeling in my throat, my tonsils are enlarged and gunky, and the back of my throat is red and streaky. All the urgent care places are now closed and my ER co-pay is $150. I work in a NICU and am scheduled to work tomorrow.

I called the unit and they said they didn't think I could call in since I don't have any PTO, but I called the house supervisor and she said I just wouldn't get paid. Neither of them acted like it was a big deal, am I over-reacting by calling in? I really think I've got strep and I don't think wearing a mask all day will cut it in NICU. I was planning to go to urgent care (if any are open on Memorial Day) in the AM and get some abx. I couldn't take my fiance's even if I wanted to, I'm allergic to PCN.

Anybody have any thoughts on what I should do?

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

DO, however, get a rapid strep test. It'll help if management gives you grief. Might be worth the money if it saves your job.

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I got sick on orientation and was required to call out by hospital policy and employee health. It sucked to miss so much work and not get PTO for it, but a. I felt like crap and b. I was contagious and would have been exposing my coworkers and patients.

Call out, go see urgent care or try to get a sick visit with your doctor.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
Don't be a little girl lol. ( No Pun) Look as long as you don't have a fever. Your good to go. Just drink fluids and don't try to breath on people. You know the drill You can do this. Have a great day at work.... Anthony

You can have strep in early stages and not have a fever. I would be livid if I found out my babies nurse had strep and didn't stay home.

I hope you feel better. Strep sucks.

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.
You can have strep in early stages and not have a fever. I would be livid if I found out my babies nurse had strep and didn't stay home.

I hope you feel better. Strep sucks.

Exactly, I meant to mention that...you can actually go the entire course of strep infection and not be febrile.

under NO circumstances should she be around any NICU baby...or anyone else actually.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

Why don't we have a vote down button.. It would help with bad advice..

OP, don't go into work until you have been tested for strep and cleared. After being on the ABX for 24 hours you could go back to work but with working in NICU, I would wait an extra day or so just to be sure.

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Just another FYI, sometimes people get cultured too early for strep. They get a sore throat and come to the drs the same day and a rapid strep is negative. Then 48 hrs later the culture grows positive because the rapid was done too early. Go tomorrow to be checked to be sure. Stay home from work. Especially because you are in the NICU AND still on orientation and exposed to strep and showing symptoms.

Hope you feel better.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Hemodialysis.

Have you ever worked in a NICU? Have you ever even seen a 24 week preemie? Do you understand the concept of immunosupression in a newborn?

If she has strep, and is prodromal working and exposing those kids is a bad idea.

She is not whinning and trying to get out of work, in fact it sounds like she feels badly, so calling her a "little girl" is really innapropriate....

So, bayoak...please, unless you feel totally fine, no sore throat...no fatigue..stay home

forner NICU RN, diva

Agreed! Mother of a former NICU patient.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you! My first thought was that I needed to go ahead and call in, but the reaction I got from charge and house got me started doubting my decision. I'm going to start calling Urgent Care places in the morning, and if they are all closed for Memorial Day I will just suck it up and go to an ER. My fiance likely caught it at work Thursday or Friday. I'm thinking that by tomorrow, I should probably be able to get fairly accurate results from a rapid-strep.

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stay home!!

i've had strep a million times. i've rarely gone to the doctor, but when i have - it's been because i've had strep. my children have had it a few times as well. it never fails when one of them gets it, so does the other. it's highly contagious! you don't belong around babies or anyone for that matter until you've been on antibiotics for a couple of days at least. i'm one of those people that hates calling in and i can count on one hand the times i've done it - but if i had a fresh case of strep, i would! next time you go to work just take your doctor's note with you. this isn't just a case of, "oh, i'm not feeling too hot so i can't come in." you have strep!!! nobody will question or blame you for that.

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Tomorrow is a holiday, so just remember to get your work excuse when you see the doctor.

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Specializes in Medical/Surgical/Maternal and Child.

If you work in the NICU PLEASE STAY HOME!!! Those poor little preemies don't need any more problems to deal with. I just got over a bout of bronchitis because a co-worker came to work sick because she thought the place would fall apart if she weren't there and I had to take 3 days off w/o pay due to my annual and sick leave used up for a recent surgery. I was not at all pleased not to mention the fact that I felt absolutely awful.:crying2::crying2::crying2:

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Does your hospital have an employee health dept? If so, and it is closed, is the policy to go to the ED? If so, this should get you around the copay...

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