They are trying to send ME home!

Flare, ASN, BSN · Mar 7, 2017

The gods smiled down on me yesterday and school was closed for a water issue. I have been miserable since last week and decided that was a sign to go to the dr. Sinus infection - no biggie but boy was it nice to have a day to rest AND no worries about coverage.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2017

Wow. Unlimited sick days. If we had that in my school, staff would be "sick" all the time! We have a very small bank of both sick/personal days.

Like many above, subs are hard to come by. I usually try and take off a planned personal day in the fall and another in the spring, but only if my regular sub can come in. She was very busy this fall, so I didn't take my fall day. But I'm trying to plan my spring one!

Amethya · Mar 7, 2017

Mine is that I get 8 Sick days, I already used some of them but only because I was actually sick. But because I was the new nurse and I needed to be certified in screenings, I had to go to some classes and they had to call subs for me for those days, so now we are limited on subs because of budget reasons. So unless I'm SERIOUSLY sick, I can't take the day and it's not because they told me that, it's mostly me and my pride as a medical aide, and to show I am seriously committed to my job. Plus is it me or what, but I seriously hate when other people are in my domain. Last time the sub was bored (LUCKY!) and she seriously scavenged through all my drawers and decorated my room and organized my stuff, which was nice, but it's like, please do not organize my stuff, I like to know where everything is, because I come back and it's like where's my paperwork? I had them here in this pile! (I'm a chaotic organizer xD)

djh123 · Mar 7, 2017

Wow - good for you that your principal was actually encouraging you to take a sick day if you need it. In my LTC/rehab facility, you practically have to prove you're no longer breathing to take a sick day. :banhappy:

OyWithThePoodles, RN · Mar 7, 2017

It is quite odd when your boss makes you stay at home because of an illness, happened to me last year when I had the flu. Whereas at the hospital when I was in their ER with a broken ankle house actually says "so I guess I can for sure put down that you aren't working today?" Umm.. Yep.

Very thankful for this job.

BeckyESRN · Mar 7, 2017

The teachers here leave early for every sniffle. I, on the other hand, have to be dying and able to find coverage to take a sick day. I was 15 minutes late this morning because of an OB appt and this place practically fell apart.

Cattz, ADN · Mar 7, 2017

Not to make any of my friends on here jealous or anything...but I get 10 sick days and 2 personal days a year (any leftovers accumulate). Thursday, I am using a personal day to go to the state high school basketball tournament. (I will miss the lively and informative conversations with you all, and most importanly, I plan to eat as much popcorn as I can for you all.) :yes:

kidzcare · Mar 7, 2017

Not to make any of my friends on here jealous or anything...but I get 10 sick days and 2 personal days a year (any leftovers accumulate). Thursday, I am using a personal day to go to the state high school basketball tournament. (I will miss the lively and informative conversations with you all, and most importanly, I plan to eat as much popcorn as I can for you all.)

I am similar. I think I get 12 sick and 2 personal. When I worked in the private sector (52 weeks a year) I think I got 6 sick days- it's crazy.

You can accumulate enough sick days to take your last year off "sick" when you retire.

TriciaJ, RN · Mar 8, 2017

#14 1

Mar 6 by TriciaJ, RN

Unlimited sick days? (Cough cough) Good bye! The best way to get people to appreciate everything you do is to not be there to do it now and then. In hospitals we get used to dragging ourselves in when we're at death's door. But your principal is chiding you to go home? I'd be burning rubber out of the parking lot.

WineRN · Mar 9, 2017

Update: I went to work all this week because I'm just programmed not to miss work.

We had a huge norovirus outbreak today, and our school is now going to be closed tomorrow.

I told my husband and his response was "Well, you are the one who WANTED to go to work".

Farawyn · Mar 9, 2017

I am getting over a head cold, but I happen to still be coughing on and off. I've had FOUR different teachers pop their heads in and ask if I was going home. And one tattled to my principal who came to talk to me and ended our conversation with "Remember you have unlimited sick days"...
Also, it must have gone around that I'm feeling under the weather, because instead of the 50+ I usually have by now, I've seen less than 20...which has NEVER happened before today.
I've NEVER taken off for a cold before, growing up or professionally, but I am new to the world of schools...is this something that's normal to take off for in a school setting? or are my teachers just hypochondriacs?

Both.

NanaPoo · Mar 9, 2017

Wow...I get 8 total days off. I think 6 can be sick and 2 can be personal. I can never take them because it's so hard to get coverage. I took 2 off last month because I got the flu. It was the first time I'd been sick in 3 years and you'd have thought this place was falling down around them. Actually, it kinda was. I watched the flu absences skyrocket and recommended on my 2nd day away that school be closed and admin was all, "we've got this covered." Over half of the school was out with the flu that day and, when all was said and done, admin agreed with a meek, "I guess we should have cancelled school." Ya think???

It's good to be away every now and then. No one notices how much you do until you're not there to do it. Give 'em a nice scare every now and then.