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.
One time it was strep, and the two other times it was puking. They aren't wrong when they say you pick up every little bug during your first few years as a nurse.
I'm not a nurse yet but at my current job (EMS) I called out to see a band. I usually don't work days that I go to school but I had randomly picked up a shift after class. At the last minute a hardcore punk band from my youth announced they were playing a show in San Francisco. I looked at the schedule and saw I had no partner, so I called out and as soon as I got out of class I headed over. Its the only time I have called out and it was worth it.
Did something like this too.
I called out a 3-11 so I could go to a charity sponsored 'Fly in a small airplane'' affair. I always wanted to fly in a small private airplane. And there was to be this event late one morning. So I called out.
Made myself NPO before I got there (I get carsick easy!) but I wanted to fly. Some coordinator in the crowd overheard me comment how I bucket-wished to pilot a small plane. So by the time I got to the head of the line, they had arranged for me fly the plane myself.
Up in the air, the pilot let me take over the steering wheel. All I remember asking was "why was the sky crooked?" The pilot had me straighten out the wheel because I could see the tilting horizon in front of us. Then the altimeter straightened out.
So for about a half hour, I was piloting a small private plane over the Delaware in NJ & Pa. Don't want to do it again. But the callout was worth it!
I called in saying I threw up but in reality the NP who ran the show on the hospital unit I was on severely embarrassed me and "chewed me out" in front of a patient and I went into the hospital bathroom to cry and needed a mental health day. Within a few weeks I was interviewing elsewhere then I was out.
As long as I'm not contagious, not running a fever, not unable to speak (I get laryngitis frequently, alas) or not under a doctor's order to stay home, I'll drag myself in. If I'm just burned out, I'll ask to be cancelled (50/50 chance of getting it) or use my paid time off.
The only time I called in and it was not one of those categories was post-root canal. The pain was horrible, but I made the mistake of taking Percocet over Motrin/APAP. I had to call and tell them I was unable to stand straight because the room was spinning too fast.
Not passing judgment on anyone and what they do regarding calling-in; this is just how I roll.
They were born to run umpteen miles a day. There is no way most people provide them with enough exercise so they find ways to exercise themselves. With some predictable results. They drive YOU mad.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
This made me laugh. I wouldn't want to admit I lost my car. How did you explain its return?
The police found it and brought it back?
I couldn't leave work one time when I was working 3-11 because my car was gone. I started at 11:30, looking. I looked one floor above and one floor below where I thought I'd parked it. I called security, and we looked through the whole garage. No car. I was getting ready to fill out the police report when security clocked my husband driving into the garage with my car. He parked it a floor below where I'd left it and then skedaddled. When I got home, he claimed he'd been home studying all night. Lying horse apple! This was not long before I caught him with the neighbor.
I was sick with a 102 fever, chills and had no voice. I went to work the next day still sick but "less sick." Someone at work gave it to me and I'm sure I shared it with other people. If hospitals don't want huge outbreaks they should probably let us take more sick days without consequence.
This made me laugh. I wouldn't want to admit I lost my car. How did you explain its return?
I don't recall exactly what I told them, but basically the truth. They looked at me like I was an idiot and I couldn't really argue with them on that point!
smartnurse1982
1,775 Posts
I guess i am the only one to call off because i had a date with a hot guy.
It was a Saturday night and I really wanted to be in NYC rather than Nj.
I did not feel too guilty, however,as i already had worked 72 hours that week.