When you call in sick...

[Butternut]

Do you give details such as symptoms (vomiting, fever, cough, diarrhea, etc)

or do you just tell them that you are "sick" and won't be in?

If you know that you won't be working the next day either, how soon do you let them know that you're still sick?

Do you feel believed? Do they question you for more info? Are you frowned upon for being a sick nurse?

Do you feel that you have to thoroughly give enough excuse to be off sick, as if you feel guilty or are made to feel guilty?

When patients cough in your face every time you are near their bed, do you hand them a tissue and ask them to please cover their mouths when they cough?

What are other ways you keep from continually getting sick from patients, in addition to good handwashing?

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

IT DOES NOT MATTER THE REASON. If one is absent they are absent period. Knowing the reason changes nothing. After all many of you say you can't believe the reasons given so why would you even ask?

I Do not ask the reason. But I guess everyone feels obligated to give a reason. So they end up offering the reason, and in my opinion, some sound just too unbelievable. SICK is believable. It happens to the best of us.

[cannoli]

The manager at the LTC facility said in a meeting "no call offs. If you have diarrhea, we have bathrooms here!". I couldn't believe it.

Sometimes it's hard to make it to the bathroom when you have diarrhea, are they going to give you depends to wear?

[leslie :-D]

do you know how many people (i won't give titles) who have called in stating either "i was in a car accident" or "my grandmother died".

i say this in all seriousness...you would think this type of reason would be isolated......NOT.

leslie

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

when I call in its always for something like my sciatica is flaring up

or Im legitimately sick

or Im taking a mental health day so I can enjoy the lovely weather and go golfing, this will make me a better person and a better nurse.

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

do you know how many people (i won't give titles) who have called in stating either "i was in a car accident" or "my grandmother died".

i say this in all seriousness...you would think this type of reason would be isolated......NOT.

leslie

The one thing I will NEVER do is say "my child is sick" when she is not. God will certainly punish me for that..

[Streamlined]

THe unit I work in now has very little flexibility for when a staff nurse calls in sick. Our manager is a freak about making you feel even worse when you do call in. Never says anything like "hope you feel better" or any such normal behavior. SHE comes to work sick, is even proud of it. Once she bragged that she had pulled over onto the side of the road to puke on her way in to work. Isn't that nice?

[CHATSDALE]

got rotorvirus las spring;;it really got me..no way i could work ccalled in no one beleived me.....

other occasion i as goign to a funeral of uncle in alabama after funeral on the bway home everybody said lets stop a biloxi on the way back..no one was due to work on the way back...the two prior days (the funeral day and the day before) were requesed off....the days on the way back were myh scheduled days off anyway we went swimming, tooak a boat ride visited the boats...i came up sun burned like you would not believe had some nasty remarks like did they bury you uncle in the sun///// it was awfful no one actually called be a liar but it was right on the tip of their tongues

[mhull]

I have heard people joke about if you get blood from a nurse during a transfusion you will have immunity to every "bug" known. LOL

Where I work they want a general complaint. For example I pulled a muscle in my back yesterday and called in. I told my boss just that. He said he hoped I got to feeling better. I don't think they are being noisy, I think they just want to make sure it isn't job related.

[andy79]

Hi, you must be in very good shape. How do you avoid getting sick or infected? Im a third year nurse student and its our first sem to be exposed to real patients. Its hard with all ward classes, 8hr duty and also the travel we do everyday. Hope to get some tips from you. Thanks! :)

Knock on wood - I have only called in once in 8 years. However, it is the current policy of the unit that you must give a general idea of what is wrong with you. Not the gory details, just: the flu, stomach virus, etc.. As to people coughing and hacking on you - I work in the ER and it happens a lot. Although you want and encourage use of tissues and covering one's mouth - you don't always get it.

[azgirl]

I had a supervisor who fired an employee because she had bronchitis. The girl obviously was sick and kept trying to return to work to please this woman and would get sicker. She called in a third time with the same illness and the supervisor said "stay home and get well. In fact, take the rest of your life to get well and don't bother to return". She told us in a meeting that she got sick once and didn't like it so didn't do it again.

THEN she got in a car wreak and everything in the world had to be done to accomodate her. She missed a months work and when she returned had to leave many times. Sure was different when the shoe was on her foot.

[Agnus]

The last time I called in I was not sick and I started to explain the reason when I was cut short by the supervisor to whom I was speaking. He didn't need an explaination. I was not even pretending to be sick and I got sick pay how is that?

[leslie :-D]

I was not even pretending to be sick and I got sick pay how is that?

maybe he thinks you're sick anyway. :chuckle :chuckle :chuckle