What is your opinion on "calling in sick" when not really sick?

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

Specializes in ACE.

mental-health-days-do-you-call-in-sick-when-not-really-sick.jpg.2d980d92b208da64251a0706ff81097b.jpg

I have pretty good attendance at work which I am glad.  I don't call in unless its an emergency.

I have noticed staff call in sick due to personal reasons, or say they shovelled the snow and now their back hurts. They call in sick from work, and then we work short if there are no replacements.

Thing is some staff say they just don't feel like coming to work, but they don't feel bad. Some say they are stressed which I understand, family complaints, managers on your tail etc... sometimes you are not sick and just need a day of healing mentally. Some staff do get burnt out. Some staff lets say had an argument one day and did not get over it so they need one day (sick) to recover but not actually sick.

But, do you feel bad if they work short? Myself in my experience when nurses book off and I am alone on the floor, I am fine you are not hurting me, you are hurting the Residents. Even when PSW's book off as well.

Have you ever called in when not really sick? I notice that its a habit for some staff.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
3 minutes ago, DK123 said:

Have you ever called in when not really sick?

Well, they wouldn't accept me calling off well.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I am a bit critical and insensitive with regard to this topic. I don't miss work. In over 22 years of employment I have missed two days of work, once I had norovirus and once I had a death in the family occur that day. 

 Work is not where I go when I don't have something else I'd rather do, it's where I am expected to be because I accepted employment with the terms that include me showing up to do my job. 

 I don't believe in "mental health days" for myself. I'm not saying I don't believe in making mental health a priority, I just don't think that my problems should impact others. None of my problems are any more important than what my coworkers may be dealing with, and my problems certainly aren't worse than what my patients in critical care are dealing with, and I owe it to my patients and to my coworkers to come and do my job.

13
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
On 1/27/2021 at 7:27 PM, JBMmom said:

 I don't believe in "mental health days", we are adults with responsibilities. I'm not saying I don't believe in making mental health a priority, I just don't think that my problems should impact others. 

With all due love & respect, JBMom, wasn't there a very recent thread about someone feeling overwhelmed due to job and life stressors?

And wouldn't that that person be able to deal with those stressors better if they allowed themselves a metal health day, just now and then? 

18
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
1 minute ago, Davey Do said:

With all due love & respect, JBMom, wasn't there a very recent thread about someone feeling overwhelmed due to job and life stressors?

I did post about some very difficult shifts and stress lately, and the way I dealt with it was to find a resource, like this site, where I could talk about it with people that might understand. For me, missing work because of it wasn't even a consideration. I would have had no stress relief by burdening my coworkers and abandoning my responsibility to my patients. As I said, none of my problems are any worse than those of my coworkers or patients, and my problems shouldn't negatively impact anyone else.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I call in "pretend sick" very occasionally ...maybe once every year and a half. I feel mildly guilty about it, but just mildly. I do consider staffing when I do it.

I also consider staffing when I'm not feeling well, for real ...a really bad and unresponsive headache, for example. I take a little, but I also give a little.

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ACE.
33 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

I am a bit critical and insensitive with regard to this topic. I don't miss work. In over 22 years of employment I have missed two days of work, once I had norovirus and once I had a death in the family occur that day. 

 Work is not where I go when I don't have something else I'd rather do, it's where I am expected to be because I accepted employment with the terms that include me showing up to do my job. 

 I don't believe in "mental health days", we are adults with responsibilities. I'm not saying I don't believe in making mental health a priority, I just don't think that my problems should impact others. None of my problems are any more important than what my coworkers may be dealing with, and my problems certainly aren't worse than what my patients in critical care are dealing with, and I owe it to my patients and to my coworkers to come and do my job.

Well in my case, we all have our own issues and whatnot. Especially in this field everyone has their own mental health issues which is important to address. But dealing with patients, staff, & visitors everyday, its like you are surrounded by weirdness, and then I'm becoming weird myself, and then its like it would not be a good idea for anyone (my family) to be with me as they would probably become weird too, so the only way to get back to normal, is to take a few days off and try to get rid of  the weirdness around me.

3
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.

I don't judge why people call in because you never know what people are going through. Yes, it sucks working short, but I work short even when there aren't call ins. If our employers wouldn't run things so lean perhaps a couple call ins wouldn't make the house of cards topple over? 

That said, yes I feel guilty if I call in, but I don't think we should. We should be able to have sick days just like anybody else in any other profession. 

15
Up Vote Up Vote ×
2 hours ago, JBMmom said:

I just don't think that my problems should impact others.

I do agree with your work ethic and my history of missed work is very similar to yours.

My reasons are different though. It's just the way I was raised; to kind of mind-over-matter things and keep plugging along for my own reasons. I wouldn't presume that as long as I show up at work then that means that whatever problems I have won't/don't affect anyone else anyway. Showing up to work is only one single aspect of that idea. Plenty of people show up when they should've stayed home, or their problems affect others even though they showed up.

Next, part of the employer-employee agreement for a lot of nurses is that employers combined sick days with other time off and called it all PTO. I don't mind that, it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. But the point is, employers did that and they wouldn't have if it didn't serve their interests. Employers also set the number of unplanned absences that they will tolerate. So...if people use their PTO within the agreement that they have with their employer, it isn't for me to give a single hoot about why they aren't at work (other than to hope they are okay, etc.).

Lastly, I just don't think it is my responsibility to have others be "not affected" by showing up at work (or staying home) according to the agreement the employer made with me. That is the employer's responsibility; they are in charge of making sure that others (especially patients) are not affected by the agreements they have freely made with their employees. If they shirk their responsibility or aren't prepared to uphold it, it doesn't become my responsibility.

Having called in an average of once per 4-5 years, I will say that one of those was simple exhaustion and feeling "meh" during pregnancy. I worked every other scheduled shift during that whole span, and went into labor on my days off. So...??‍♀️...I just can't care about the fact that I wasn't "sick" the time I called out.

12
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I don't tend to judge unless it's an all the time sort of thing. Mental health days are valid to me. I used to get all bent out of shape when someone called out, but having a quarter of century of nursing under my belt, I guess I have mellowed out. We can only do what is possible for us. If understaffed, I do my best and that's all I can do.

That said, I never call out. Not cause I am  some sort of angel or better than others,  but because our staffing is so tight,  my calling out would make huge issues for our charge nurse/manager--- and I really like her. I hate to put her or my coworkers in a tough spot.

I can literally count on one hand in nearly 26 years that I called out for any reason, let alone cause I was feeling under the weather.

I work through migraines, so I guess I am used to a level of discomfort when working. I also was active military for 10 years and calling out sick was simply not an option.

But that's just me. Nursing is so stressful, especially now, with COVID, so I understand people calling out when maximally stressed out. It's a tough time to be working anyplace, even from home, for some.

7
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
12 hours ago, DK123 said:

Well in my case, we all have our own issues and whatnot.

Thank you for giving me my first laugh of the morning, DK! The simple truth and boldness of this opening line is beautiful, and I mean that.

As I'm just jumping around first thing, checking out reactions, I'm not going to read anything more, at this time, for fear of spoiling the groundwater of this statement.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ACE.
1 hour ago, Davey Do said:

Thank you for giving me my first laugh of the morning, DK! The simple truth and boldness of this opening line is beautiful, and I mean that.

As I'm just jumping around first thing, checking out reactions, I'm not going to read anything more, at this time, for fear of spoiling the groundwater of this statement.

well its the truth for me at least.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment