What was the REAL reason you called off

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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?

Call in... What is that? I call in to ask if they need me to work O.T. ;)

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

Pyelonephritis....sick as a dog, almost hospitalized. Then on my first day back, still feeling like death and looking it, they asked if I wanted to work a double. Huh, I'll jump right on that.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
I've taken sick days, mental health days, and "I'm sick" interviewing elsewhere days. The last two due to management practices that created a toxic work environment that the majority of staff are looking to escape.

I noticed you also mentioned an interview in another thread. Hope it went well and you are offered the job!

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

Now, back to topic. I guess I'm pretty boring in the call in excuse department. I hadn't called in in literally years, so long ago I can't remember the last time. Just a few weeks ago I called in because of a plumbing issue. Of course the pipe burst on a weekend and I had to turn off the water until I could get a plumber in, so no water all weekend and a call in Monday to stay home and get it fixed.

I seldom call off. I've gone in feeling like crap because I knew staffing was short that day.

However, I have also taken a mental health day or personal day on a rare occasion, and did not feel a bit guilty.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

I once called in (on short notice) and told them that I couldn't get to work because my car had apparently been stolen.

It wasn't an intentional lie - I just forgot that I had parked on the totally opposite side of my apartment complex and couldn't find it.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Wanted to hit up the craps table. Won more than I would have made working the shift, so that was good.

I skipped the first day of my senior year of college because my cat was in labor with her first pregnancy. (She only had one kitten but he was huge and I did end up assisting a bit, LOL).

Specializes in Critical Care.

That's adorable

That's adorable

Oh, heck they never tell you anything on the first day of class anyway-- just hand out the reading list and the syllabus and the clinical assignments. Those were all available the next day, and I knew clinical didn't start for a week so no harm, no foul.

As a CNA, I once went home "sick" because my fiance showed up on my floor about 20 minutes into my shift to let me know the woman he was having an affair with was two floors up, having his baby.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
As a CNA, I once went home "sick" because my fiance showed up on my floor about 20 minutes into my shift to let me know the woman he was having an affair with was two floors up, having his baby.

YIKES! You win,hands down. Sorry.

+ Add a Comment