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.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
As a charge nurse, one of the calls I got was "I slept with my best friend's husband, and I'm so mortified I can't come to work." The 'best friend' was AT work when I got the call.
Another was "I was on my way to work, and I got pulled over. I'm going to jail for a DUI." After the employee (let's call him Dick) went to court, he was sentenced to jail for six weeks but allowed work release. That meant that every time he was scheduled to come to work, the charge nurse needed to call the jail two hours in advance of his shift to affirm that he was needed at work. Then either his wife or his girlfriend would pick him up and drive him to work -- one hour each way across state lines. The upside to that was Dick was always available (and happy to work) for overtime. We just had to call the jail, then either his wife or his girlfriend to go get him from jail and drive him to work. Usually, he'd specify who we were supposed to call, but once another charge nurse called his girlfriend when it was supposed to be his wife and the girlfriend got all huffy and refused to pick him up for a few days.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Nope,don't even have to say you are sick.Only have to say you will not be in...period.
Our state has weird labor laws - if you ARE sick, the first 40 hours in the calendar year are protected. If your CHILD is sick, you don't get any disciplinary action at all. So yes, in my state you do sort of have to say WHY you're not coming in, at least if you don't want any attendance-related discipline.
Hmmmm...where I work its very simple...its called PTO...I earn it...I use it whenever I need too...I do not...nor will I ever give a reason...as is my right...yes-workers rights still actually exist in some places-It gets really old really fast hearing all the stories of people that..."havent called out in years"...that "sacrifice so much for their coworkers working short staffed" etc..yippie for them. Sadly that type of mentality only bolsters management mistreatment of workers...shortstaffing is a management issue that in my opinion causes the burnout that in most cases turns into further call outs...
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
Years ago I was a staffing coordinator. I never wanted to hear the reason. Just tell me you are sick. Whether true or not!
Asking for reasons is not only intrusive, but also means people will lie LOL. Why do that stupid dance?
Also, it is one thing to go in to work sick when you have a desk job. It is a whole different matter when you have to run your orifice off on a busy floor and function physically and mentally as a nurse.
Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
I called in three years ago for a MRSA cellulitis with a 104.6 fever, and I called in a month ago with a sinus infection with fever and pitting edema in my face after starting abx the day before.
My son is old enough that I don't have to call in for him being sick, etc.
I only call in when I am in fact truly sick. Back in Sept. I took an entire week off because I torn my ACL and my meniscus on my knee doing yoga on a Sunday and couldn't walk. (see exercise can be bad for you!). Then I needed surgery to fix it, but I asked for that time off. But when I worked on an inpatient unit I used to call for mental health days as well.
Specializes in med-surg, IMC, school nursing, NICU.
I was working my last hospital job, night shift, woke up at 4 PM with chills, body aches but no fever. I had an orientee who was pretty much independent so I decided to go in anyway. I sat at the nurse's station all night and longed for death. I felt atrocious.
A few days later, my girlfriend and I had tickets a concert and I was scheduled to work the following night. I knew for a fact the unit was overstaffed and I felt zero guilt in calling in so we could continue the fun and go to the pool the next day. I needed a mental health day and I'm not sorry!
Actually, these days I really truly
Ruby Vee, BSN
17 Articles; 14,051 Posts
As a charge nurse, one of the calls I got was "I slept with my best friend's husband, and I'm so mortified I can't come to work." The 'best friend' was AT work when I got the call.
Another was "I was on my way to work, and I got pulled over. I'm going to jail for a DUI." After the employee (let's call him Dick) went to court, he was sentenced to jail for six weeks but allowed work release. That meant that every time he was scheduled to come to work, the charge nurse needed to call the jail two hours in advance of his shift to affirm that he was needed at work. Then either his wife or his girlfriend would pick him up and drive him to work -- one hour each way across state lines. The upside to that was Dick was always available (and happy to work) for overtime. We just had to call the jail, then either his wife or his girlfriend to go get him from jail and drive him to work. Usually, he'd specify who we were supposed to call, but once another charge nurse called his girlfriend when it was supposed to be his wife and the girlfriend got all huffy and refused to pick him up for a few days.