What was the REAL reason you called off

[Orion81RN]

As I'm sitting in my doctor's office waiting to get a flu swab, I thought I'd start a thread. I called in yesterday from the flu. The worst of it actually began tuesday, I had a fever Wednesday, and I still went to work. When I was still feeling pretty drained yesterday, I called in. My nurse manager used scare tactics with me and told me that I had to get tested to be sure it WAS the flu. That pissed me off. I have the right to give no excuse period. Anyhoo...

We've had threads where we've posted the funniest, dumbest and most amusing reasons people have given to call off. So I thought I'd start a thread asking....so what was the REAL reason you have called off when giving an excuse? This isn't meant to encourage unethical behavior, but I thought it would be fun.

One time I called in sick when the flu was going around because I had not had an ounce of sleep in 4 days. I had already called off for that before, and boy was my DON pissed. (I've suffered from crazy insomnia issues for years and have worked with my doctors to no avail.)

My managers clearly didn't get the severity of my sleep deprivation nor care how dangerous it would be for me to be on the floor with lives in my hands saying it was my responsibility to get proper sleep at night, as if I had control over it. So I wasn't about to say it was due to sleep again. So I called in sick saying I had the flu.

How about you all?

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

I really was sick.....I hate what it forced on other staff....

but out honest to God I was sick...

to my my associated staff, I am so very sorry

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

Sending love and comfort your way (((HUGS)))

I totally understand...

and am so very sorry you experienced this

[AliNajaCat]

When I was MUCH younger, before I was a nurse but I was a nurse's aide (this was so long ago it was before the "C" before the "NA") I was living with a couple of guys and one of them had an old high school buddy come to visit. Well, the buddy brought some lysergic acid diethylamide, and we all partook, and as I watched the sun coming up over the river I realized it would not have been a good idea to go to work.

(The buddy has retired after a glorious career as a hot-shot cardiologist in a major medical center, another is faculty at an internationally-famous law school, another is a civil engineering manager in a major US city, I have a modestly successful nursing business .. .in short, drugs don't always lead to a life of crime and debauchery :) But sometimes they do lead to call-outs... )

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

Last time I called in was due to vision problems.

I just couldn't see myself going to work that day.

I believe the medical term is occupational anal myopia.... you just can't see your butt coming in to work that shift.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I believe the medical term is occupational anal myopia.... you just can't see your butt coming in to work that shift.

I've always heard it as anal glaucoma.

[mystory, BSN, RN]

This! In 10 years I've called in twice for legit illness as above, once for a car accident on the way to work the car was totaled and twice when I was so disgusted with things that I was on my way out. So the tally in a decade is 3 legit and 2 where I wanted to burn some of my sick time. The truth is if they had offered PTO which I could have cashed out when I left instead of sick time I wouldn't have called out for the latter either. Actually the sick vs PTO is a suggestion I'm going to add in the other running thread about sick calls. :)

I'm pleasantly surprised and would love to work with most of you who have posted here as it sounds like you are dedicated employees.

(Bolding emphasis mine.) I completely agree with you. My hospital used to give yearly bonuses for "perfect attendance" and cash out sick time PTO when employees resign or retire. Now, it's use it or lose it..thousands of hard-earned dollars donated to the hospital. Do I use my sick time? You bet I do. In fact, I am using mine next week. I do not like leaving my colleagues in a bind so we inform each other beforehand and enlist available per diems to fill the holes.

So to answer the OP: What is my real reason for calling out? Allergic reaction to the BS at work. Remedied by a week off, deep spring cleaning, reading at Central Park, an afternoon at the Met, trying a new recipe and a new face mask, etc.

[BklynHeightsRN]

Last time I called in was due to vision problems.

I just couldn't see myself going to work that day.

hahahaha!!

[BklynHeightsRN]

When I was MUCH younger, before I was a nurse but I was a nurse's aide (this was so long ago it was before the "C" before the "NA") I was living with a couple of guys and one of them had an old high school buddy come to visit. Well, the buddy brought some lysergic acid diethylamide, and we all partook, and as I watched the sun coming up over the river I realized it would not have been a good idea to go to work.

(The buddy has retired after a glorious career as a hot-shot cardiologist in a major medical center, another is faculty at an internationally-famous law school, another is a civil engineering manager in a major US city, I have a modestly successful nursing business .. .in short, drugs don't always lead to a life of crime and debauchery :) But sometimes they do lead to call-outs... )

haha! Rock on with yo bad self!

[Ben_Dover]

When I was MUCH younger, before I was a nurse but I was a nurse's aide (this was so long ago it was before the "C" before the "NA") I was living with a couple of guys and one of them had an old high school buddy come to visit. Well, the buddy brought some lysergic acid diethylamide, and we all partook, and as I watched the sun coming up over the river I realized it would not have been a good idea to go to work.

(The buddy has retired after a glorious career as a hot-shot cardiologist in a major medical center, another is faculty at an internationally-famous law school, another is a civil engineering manager in a major US city, I have a modestly successful nursing business .. .in short, drugs don't always lead to a life of crime and debauchery :) But sometimes they do lead to call-outs... )

Hilarious!!! I don't think you had enough of the good stuff... I'm assuming if you had a bit more, you'd beat any of your H.S. buddies. Heck, you may have been running our country by now.

[Nursewifemom]

Before I began nursing, I called in the day that my husband's girlfriend called to inform me that she had miscarried his child. Boss tried to give me a hard time until I told her why.

Just a cpl months ago I had the flu, felt like death. Called in 3 hours before shift, when I woke up dying. The next day I knew I had to go to the Dr to get an excuse. On the way home I called in for that night, was told the house sup couldn't take my call in, I had to call the CCNO, so I did. I told her I had the flu and she told me my excuse better say "positive for flu". It did, but that still felt really intrusive, like they thought I was lying or something.

[Ms. Smarty Pants RN]

I worked for an insurance company doing health coaching calls. We are required to be at our desk unless it was a break or lunch time. I called in once when I had a GI bug and couldn't be away from the bathroom for more than 10 minutes (awful) and twice when I lost my voice. I called in sick but also received a text from my manager because they couldn't hear my voice on the call-in voicemail. Usually, these are the only times I call in since it impedes my work and affects my coworkers, especially when I worked in an office (GI bugs spread like wildfire in those settings). I'm sure during my initial nursing days, I probably called in after an extremely rough day that left me mentally exhausted but that has been years now. Now I work from home and don't really need to use my sick time.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

Because my chronic anxiety and depression, didn't allow me to