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

Nurses General Nursing

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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.

Tsk Tsk

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We are powerless. Not enough floats, two RNs call out at once, MDs get annoyed. How about the MDs stand up for us and demand better staffing??? They have the power to just reschedule a whole two week's worth of patients if they want to go on vacation!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

On the receiving not once but twice this week. This person called out less than an hour before they were scheduled to start. It SUUUUUUUCKS.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
15 minutes ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

On the receiving not once but twice this week. This person called out less than an hour before they were scheduled to start. It SUUUUUUUCKS.

In the acute setting, there's usually a float pool to help some. In LTC,  rehab, and clinics, it puts the screws to the rest of the staff, royally. Many who are encouraging the mental health days, and those who take them, don't generally get it

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Hoosier: No such luck in chronics. We suck it up. I would go to acutes but don't want to be on call. Otherwise I would be all over that.

I need a mental health day. Problem is, I cannot relax if I were to do that. I would feel guilty. It's time for some PTO and well-deserved rest I suppose.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
4 minutes ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

Hoosier: No such luck in chronics. We suck it up. I would go to acutes but don't want to be on call. Otherwise I would be all over that.

It's the one thing I don't like about chronics, because no one ever wants to work extra, and I get it. I occasionally think about acutes, but that on call is a big turn off. In my area, they are there until the wee hours of the morning, almost daily. I've been thinking about home therapies once my 6mos is up where I just landed. Maybe that will be a viable option

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
2 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

In the acute setting, there's usually a float pool to help some. In LTC,  rehab, and clinics, it puts the screws to the rest of the staff, royally. Many who are encouraging the mental health days, and those who take them, don't generally get it

Lately, our hospital's float is depleted daily with the number of call outs. So, it's not much better. 

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Specializes in Dialysis.
1 hour ago, JBMmom said:

Lately, our hospital's float is depleted daily with the number of call outs. So, it's not much better. 

But at least the availability exists. I wish it would in outpatient settings, but no such luck

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
4 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

But at least the availability exists. I wish it would in outpatient settings, but no such luck

Oh for sure. My LTC days involved many short shifts and unexpected overtime. At least on the weekends my facility had one nurse and one manager on call Friday 5pm- Monday 7am. You could be called in for up to 16 hours per day, which was rough sometimes, but you only had call once per quarter. 

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Specializes in Dialysis.
28 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

Oh for sure. My LTC days involved many short shifts and unexpected overtime. At least on the weekends my facility had one nurse and one manager on call Friday 5pm- Monday 7am. You could be called in for up to 16 hours per day, which was rough sometimes, but you only had call once per quarter. 

Yes, LTC is notorious for that. I'd be on call like that (weekends) every 3 weeks. Never failed. I always worked 

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