When do you call in sick?

Gompers, BSN, RN · May 23, 2006

Wondering what symptoms/illnesses make you call in sick?
I know they always say to call in if you're sick because of the compromised immune systems of the babies. I have been battling pneumonia and have been on antibiotics for 10 days and don't have a fever but still have cough/congestion/fatigue. I'm not sure if this constitutes calling off or not.

Usually, if you've been on antibiotics for more than 24 hours and your fever is gone, you can go back to work. Pneumonia takes a while to get over, but after the infection is gone you aren't contagious so it's okay to go to work as long as you feel up to it. The cough, congestion, and fatigue is just your body's way of getting over the pneumonia.

If you have the sick time available and want to stay off until you feel 100%, then by all means stay home. But many don't have that luxury, so if you are looking to go back, you should be able to at this point.

JMHO.

Of course, calling or stopping by your hospital's Occupational Health is the best idea of all.

elizabells, BSN, RN · May 24, 2006

If I'm contagious

If I'm sick enough to interfere w/ patient care (i.e., running to the bathroom to puke once an hour)

If I feel so crappy I think I might be unsafe (bad judgment, shaky hands, etc)

wjf00 · Jun 2, 2006

I call in most often after I work a double and about 1 hour into sleeping, staffing calls me and asks if I can come in right away. That pretty much kills my sleep so I can't function at work.