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

[Convoy2022_TrumpSupporter]

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.

[Sweetheart2005, ASN]

I cant recall a time that I’ve actually called out when I wasn’t ill, but I have thought about it. I see nothing wrong with taking a  sick day for mental health, burn out, overly stressed on a rare occasion. I feel bad calling out even when I’m sick knowing I’m leaving my coworkers short, but in those times, I know I need to take care of myself, and either I’d be sharing whatever I got with everyone or wouldn’t be much quality anyway. 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

It's really none of my business if a Colleague or co-worker calls out and I generally try to stay in my corner of the sandbox. 

[HarleyvQuinn, MSN, RN, NP]

I don't make it my personal business to judge the validity of someone else's illness, pain, or need to take a day to themselves. Staffing grids are designed, by the employer's choice, so that staff RNs work short regardless. You don't exactly see management jumping in to help out or feeling guilty for leaving on time, having their weekends or holidays off, or for being out sick. 

My attitude changed considerably from the type of person that put the "mission" first and put my own care last when doing so caused irreparable harm to my body. I was the "lucky" owner of a joint replacement and five surgical procedures trying to repair a destroyed ankle that was never given the chance to heal in my early thirties. All because of the "need" to keep going. Guess what? I'll have physical limitations for the rest of my life. Corporations have absolutely no regard for loyalty at all. They only demand it from you. Don't break yourself for them. You'll be left with nothing. They continue to strip benefits, pensions are ancient history, and they will toss you to the curb without needed insurance.

 Nursing has made a lot of fuss about being a profession, but the fact remains that nurses are still treated like blue-collar workers by the entities they work for. Professionals aren't expected to give their time for free (another post). I don't regret the time I've spent or the knowledge and experiences I've gained working with patients as an RN. I have to admit, though, that I've found the work of an NP so much more exciting, engaging, and satisfying. 

[kp2016]

My opinion on this has evolved a lot over the years. I've gone from perfect attendance, dragging myself to work no matter what to realizing that I am important in my own right and have every bit as much right to be "sick" as my patients do.

If I am sick I should stay home, if my back hurts it's fine to stay home, if I just need a day at home in my PJs because it's Monday that is fine too!

The staffing of the Unit Is Not My Responsibility! Taking care of myself physically and mentally is. 

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

11 hours ago, ThePrincessBride said:

You were pretty judgmental in your previous post, as if you were looking down on those of us who choose to prioritize our mental health over our jobs. 

"I don't believe in "mental health days", we are adults with responsibilities."

Pretty condescending right there.

You don't know what is going on in other people's lives. Needing a mental health day is a valid reason to call off. If I were a patient, I wouldn't want an exhausted, emotional train wreck taking care of me. After all, it has been proven that burnout and exhaustion contributes to med errors which can end in patient fatalities. 

I suppose I should have rephrased. I couldn't care less why coworkers aren't there. I should have said I don't believe in them for me. While I think it's not right for me, everyone has to live their life best for them. 

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

I don’t feel a single ounce of guilt when calling out. Granted I work float pool for years now so that’s part of it but even when I had a home unit, there was no guilt whether it was from a physical illness or a mental health illness. 
I also do not fault or blame my coworkers when they call in for whatever reason. There are some that abuse the system and have a pattern like calling in only on weekends or only on holidays. But that’s not my business.

[PoodleBreath]

This post kind of hits me in my heart. I worked with someone who came in to work every single day, never called off. He was an incredibly kind person. Over the course of a year we noticed that he seemed to be getting much thinner and more fatigued. At end of shift he would sit in a recliner to rest, which management doesn't like, but most of us like to give each other the benefit of the doubt, and if someone needs a break at end of shift, then there's nothing wrong with that. It's not like we get breaks during our shifts. But there were some staff who complained about it because that's how people are.

One day he didn't come in to work. We found out he had died in his sleep, his young daughter found him. He had been struggling with a chronic health issue, and for his own reasons didn't tell anyone, and worked everyday diligently. It was heartbreaking.

The worst was the feeling that if I or anyone else had just said something to him, pushed a little harder about what was going on, maybe he would still be alive, or at least would have known how much we cared about him.

I reserve all opinions about why people call off. That's between them and management.

[Davey Do]

5 hours ago, JadedCPN said:

 there was no guilt whether it was from a physical illness or a mental health illness.

Yours is an interesting concept that I had never thought of before, JadedCPN. Some illnesses are chronic while others are transient. And not all illnesses require a dx by a medical professional.

If we have all the symptoms of a transient cold or flu fever, chills, body aches, etc.), we say, "I've got a cold or the flu". If we have the sx of depression (amotivation, anhedonia, etc.) we say, " I'm depressed".

We can stay home and nurse ourselves if the sx aren't severe enough to seek professional interventions, yet are bad enough that they would affect our abilities to adequately function in a workplace environment. 

Very cool concept!

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

Two weeks ago I had a personal emergency that required me to unexpectedly have to move everything I owned out of my house.... I wasn’t sick, but couldn’t move furniture and stuff all day long and safely work the same night, so I called out.

no guilty feelings here. Had to get stuff done or risk losing my things forever.

 

 

[caliotter3]

I take a good hard look at the present state of my health and can only wonder how much of the devastation can be attributed to my workaholic ways of the past.  I can't think of one thank you along the way, much less any kind of satisfied feeling in looking back at my work attendance record.  Maybe if I had paid attention to mental and physical health days back then, I wouldn't be suffering so much today.  Just a thought.

[Lynker, LPN]

I completely understand calling in "sick" when you need a mental health day. I did it almost every single day I worked as a CNA, while I was in LPN school. I spent my better time sleeping and studying instead of taking care of old people that were draining on a 130-pound young man's body.

I've grown up since then, and I've been working at the same job for about a year and a half. I've only called out once I think, because we had to put my dog down suddenly one night.

I fully support people using "sick days" as mental health days. I would do the same, but I'm too disciplined now. Plus I'm per diem, so that might play into it LOL

3 hours ago, Davey Do said:

Yours is an interesting concept that I had never thought of before, JadedCPN. Some illnesses are chronic while others are transient. And not all illnesses require a dx by a medical professional.

If we have all the symptoms of a transient cold or flu fever, chills, body aches, etc.), we say, "I've got a cold or the flu". If we have the sx of depression (amotivation, anhedonia, etc.) we say, " I'm depressed".

We can stay home and nurse ourselves if the sx aren't severe enough to seek professional interventions, yet are bad enough that they would affect our abilities to adequately function in a workplace environment. 

Very cool concept!

After seeing this, I completely agree! Why should the two be any different? Very interesting topic to discuss!

[CalicoKitty, BSN, MSN, RN]

I am not a huge call-out person. Mostly sick. Once or twice for "mental health" days after particularly stressful days at work. Once or twice for personal reasons that came up after the 2 friggin months (or more) advance notice I was required to give for my work schedule (and swapping shifts was not easily done).

I have called out far fewer times than I had been put "on-call", and far fewer times than being "called-in".

Plenty of my coworkers over the years made sure to use their "PTO/sick days" before it "expired". I never used most or all of mine. And yea, I still kinda feel like I "lost out" on some of the money/benefits. And that I blame on employers because they didn't have a cash-out/donate option.