Ok. Maybe that isn't a fair title. Perhaps some of the excuses are true. But I would like to see what others have been told as far as why someone called off. Here's a few of my favorites:
1. My babysitter is in jail so I can't come in.
2. I burned my hand on some food so I can't work today.
3. I forgot I had to work today, so I stayed up too late and am too tired to come in.
4. My child got stung by a bee (several hours ago) so I don't want to come in.
5. I'm mad at (supervisor) so I'm not working today.
I have used "I'm stressed to death and am taking a "mental health" day today." Yes, I was wrote for an absence, lol. But I was being honest. Anyway, what have you heard?
I saw someome on tv out and having a good time (with someone who was not his spouse) on new years eve. Hot valled into the office. Everyone came out laughing.
Ex supervisior takes a week of when dog sick. More time off when had hives. (She yelled at someone else for having hives)
Someone in icu on a venr. Comes back after the pna. Written up for even though she needed a admission later for surgery.
My first grandma dies. Asked if I will still pick up extra shifts. Second grandma dies a few years later. Asked did she already pass? Hello we get two!
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I haven't used it yet, but I feel like nobody argues with diarrhea.
Nobody does argue with diarrhea, but then it's not especially creative, either.
I did take a phone call once about an hour into the shift from a nurse who said her diarrhea was so bad she couldn't get off the toilet to call in until right that moment. (Before cell phones; before cordless telephones and before answering machines.)
I called in once because I had gone to the airport to pick up my husband who was flying back from an assignment in Europe. I hadn't seen him for six months, and we'd only been married about nine months. When the plane arrived, he wasn't on it. I was in tears; didn't know whether to stay and wait for the next plane or what. I called work and talked to the nursing supervisor, because this was now about 45 minutes from the start of my shift. The supervisor said "It's OK, Ruby. He called here. He missed his plane and will be on the next one, and I've just marked you down as too sick to come in to work. Enjoy your reunion."
I called in once because I had gone to the airport to pick up my husband who was flying back from an assignment in Europe. I hadn't seen him for six months, and we'd only been married about nine months. When the plane arrived, he wasn't on it. I was in tears; didn't know whether to stay and wait for the next plane or what. I called work and talked to the nursing supervisor, because this was now about 45 minutes from the start of my shift. The supervisor said "It's OK, Ruby. He called here. He missed his plane and will be on the next one, and I've just marked you down as too sick to come in to work. Enjoy your reunion."
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I called off once because of food poisoning. I thought I was going to be fine but then it ended up having vomiting & diarrhea so bad I had to go to the ER. I was in the ER for hours & tried to go to work the next day (dry heaving) & got sent home.
I'm with those who say they don't give a reason. Whenever I've called out (which in 5 years at the hospital was a handful of times, I've never called out of my current job), I've simply said "I'm calling out for my shift." We spoke with our charge nurse when calling out and for the most part they didn't pry.
Things used to happen to us all the time where we'd put in our requests a month or more in advance... say once I requested a Friday off because I was leaving town on Wednesday evening. The schedule came out a week before it started and they put me on my 36 hours at the beginning of the week and then an 8 hour shift on Friday (and no, we didn't get OT for working over our scheduled hours or over 40 hrs in a week) despite the fact that I'd told them I wasn't going to be in town. 8 hour shifts were ridiculously hard to switch because almost everyone was on 12s. In that situation, I'd feel no qualms about leaving town anyway and then calling to say "I'm not coming in tomorrow." I told you over a month ago that I wasn't working this day so deal with it.
As an on-call weekend supervisor, I recently got a call out from a nurse who was "too tired" to go in for her night shift. The page came through at 9:30 for a shift that started at 8. I have no patience for this kind of nonsense... you signed up for a night shift, take a nap.
"I went to the tanning bed and burnt my a$& and boobs, I can't wear underwear".
" okay, do you need transferred to burns, they probably can help you with that"
You are an idiot lol
I actually did burn my boobs so badly once (in Costa Rica) that I couldn't wear a bra. I just threw a wife beater on under my scrubs and went to work anyway.
THIS is a winner!!! 
miasmom
103 Posts
I saw someome on tv out and having a good time (with someone who was not his spouse) on new years eve. Hot valled into the office. Everyone came out laughing.
Ex supervisior takes a week of when dog sick. More time off when had hives. (She yelled at someone else for having hives)
Someone in icu on a venr. Comes back after the pna. Written up for even though she needed a admission later for surgery.
My first grandma dies. Asked if I will still pick up extra shifts. Second grandma dies a few years later. Asked did she already pass? Hello we get two!