I did find some similar threads...but I am really looking for some advice, so stay with me:chair:
I got sick on friday. Fever, cough, chills, body aches...really really sick. Believe me, I'm not a whiner. I went to the pa in quick care who thought it might be bronchitis and it might be influenza...either way she wasn't going to treat me. (she felt it was viral) I knew I had to work Christmas, so I talked her into a z-pack just in case. anyhow...I just got sicker. I called work on saturday and told them "I'm running a fever, I have a horrible cough and I'm dizzy" response? take cold medicine and come in any way. They were short and it was christmas.
Too late to make this short;) but I loaded up on motrin and tylenol and went to work (I work ER) By 1100 my fever was up to 100.9 with the meds. I told my charge nurse that I was really having a hard time. She basically told me to suck it up. She kept giving me these 89yo GLF's who were going to go to surgery for hip replacements. One of the doc's saw how crappy I looked and we did an influenza culture (positive) My charge nurse told me to "do the best you can, I will try to find someone to cover you" She found one more nurse to come in from ICU and then she used her to "lighten our load" instead of sending me home.
I pulled it together and did the best I could. No whining. I am now really peeved. I feel like I should do something or say something to my director about the way this was handled. I wonder how many little old people I just killed off...
I'm interested in what you would have done in this situation and what you would do now... would you speak to your director? let it go? I am finally feeling human again and I have a few days off, but I don't think I will ever work that sick again. oh, and I have worked there a year and not called in...for anything.
This is similar to what they teach us about pain; ie; pain is what the patient says it is. You are the only one who can assess how sick you feel so why ask your managers if you really need to come in? You know when you're too sick to work. Period. Don't give them a mixed message; call out. It will never be convenient for the people working short but it can't be helped. It doesn't sound like you abuse they system so next time do what you gotta do.
I'm not debating the fact that she shouldn't have been there. But considering she really was ill and already looked ill, there was no reason for the drama. That's all. The drama is something people see though and I know I think to myself when I see someone putting on quite the show that if the drama and poor acting are necessary, the person must not be really sick.
It's easy to tell when people are ill vs. when they are putting on a show.
No, I'm not advocating for her to have "put on a show." That would have just reduced her credibility. But not calling in because you're afraid what gossipers will say...that's another thing altogether.
Just telling them you sick and will not be in is the best way to do it. I used to go in feeling like some one was trying to kill me and I have actually had to get a freakin IV and sit and watch monitors! I don't work for those guys any more. If you work in ER and have the flu you need to stay home and stay in bed. I know in ER you could do more damage than good when you have the flu. Don't let someones staffing guilt trip get you.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I used to believe that there were only two circumstances that should keep me away from work: when I couldn't keep my head off the pillow, or out of the toilet. Now I know better.........I've been ill so many times this past year that I lost count of my absences. That's what I got for ignoring my body's signals for too long---and believe me, nobody gave me any props for coming to work sick. They did, however, give me a number of verbal warnings for being out so much, and while I can understand that to a point, it's also a source of much frustration and anger.
Think about it: what good is it to ourselves and our patients to come to work when we're coughing, blowing our noses, running a fever, or throwing up every five minutes? Not only does this prevent us from getting the rest our bodies demand and possibly prolong the illness, it exposes already vulnerable patients to germs they didn't have before coming into the hospital or care facility. That fact alone should make nurse managers and supervisors think twice before 'guilting' us into coming in when we're sick......you'd think these people have never heard of nosocomial infections:stone
I realize there are those who abuse their sick days and call in whenever it's a holiday or a weekend (ever notice how prevalent the 'bottle flu' is on warm, sunny Mondays and Fridays?). But the vast majority of us shouldn't be suspected of what the old Army drill sergeants used to call 'gold-bricking', let alone punished for the actions of the few.........IMO, coming to work sick should be regarded as bad practice, just like going from patient to patient without washing one's hands, or failing to observe the five rights of medication administration.
If nothing else, I'd advise the OP that it's far easier to ask forgiveness than permission---next time you're sick, tell TPTB that you are ILL and cannot come to work. Don't ask them if it's OK, don't tell them you'll try to make it in later if you feel better, and above all, DON'T GO IN. I used to think that if I showed up looking pathetic and moving around with the speed of a weary blacksmith, management would take pity on me and send me home; in reality, they will almost always assume that if you can walk, you can work.
We had a nurse injure herself while pulling up a patient (with another nurse of course), her clavicle was poking out of her skin and the overhouse supervisor asked if she could "wait until the end of your shift before going to the ER..."
this was at 1500!!!!
You are too kind, I would have called in, and have them suck it up...
that is why we have agency nurses and prn nurses.
I was sick 3 days last week with that viral yuk that is going around, I didn't feel guilty at all because I couldn't lift my head off my pillow for 5 days prior to calling out...
You HAVE to take care of YOU first, or there will be no YOU to care for others!!
Sheesh. If a healthcare worker I had to work with or see had a positive flu culture, I would be quite irate. I have asthma, and the LAST thing I need is the flu. Plus, you felt horrid and could have made mistakes. I know the day I went in to clinical with bronchitis and a 100 fever I almost gave a patient a double dose of Haldol because my brain was real fuzzy. It scared me enough to realize that if I am ever that sick again I need to just say No. I'm glad you feel better! :wink2:
To me, there is no difference in going to work under the influence and going to work when you're really too sick to be there; in either case, you're working "impaired."
My MIL went in for knee surgery last year and was taken care of by a nurse who was constantly excusing herself to the bathroom. By the end of the week my MIL was very ill and missed 8 days of work--she believes it was from her contact with this nurse...patients shouldn't come to be treated and leave sicker! A positive influenza culture means ISO on our unit. Total disregard for patients, especially the young and eldrly.
Think about it: what good is it to ourselves and our patients to come to work when we're coughing, blowing our noses, running a fever, or throwing up every five minutes? Not only does this prevent us from getting the rest our bodies demand and possibly prolong the illness, it exposes already vulnerable patients to germs they didn't have before coming into the hospital or care facility. That fact alone should make nurse managers and supervisors think twice before 'guilting' us into coming in when we're sick......you'd think these people have never heard of nosocomial infections:stone
This is what gets me too. I mean, I believe we can actually put these people's lives in jeopardy with a nice case of sepsis and an ICU stay, and hopefully they will survive that. Even a worker with a simple cold could potentially do this. Why isn't stuff like this being addressed? I just think it's nuts for managers to not even think of the consequences of patient safety having a worker there exposing already immuno-suppressed and sick patients with an illness that in all honesty could end their lives.
I don't mean to sound like I am blaming someone coming in sick to work, not at all. But we are put under so much pressure not to call in sick and not be punished for it (even a doctor's excuse in my area won't save you from being reprimanded or having it put on your record), that I perfectly see why people come in sick.
It's just nuts.
And as for the OP, I feel for you, honey. I wasn't as sick as you were, but I worked all weekend long and felt like total cr*p. That plus having a root canal done right before the holidays, and I was completely totally miserable at work. But to call off on Christmas or anytime during the weekend, I'm sure I would have been in the office.
I did find some similar threads...but I am really looking for some advice, so stay with me:chair:
I got sick on friday. Fever, cough, chills, body aches...really really sick. Believe me, I'm not a whiner. I went to the pa in quick care who thought it might be bronchitis and it might be influenza...either way she wasn't going to treat me. (she felt it was viral) I knew I had to work Christmas, so I talked her into a z-pack just in case. anyhow...I just got sicker. I called work on saturday and told them "I'm running a fever, I have a horrible cough and I'm dizzy" response? take cold medicine and come in any way. They were short and it was christmas.
Too late to make this short;) but I loaded up on motrin and tylenol and went to work (I work ER) By 1100 my fever was up to 100.9 with the meds. I told my charge nurse that I was really having a hard time. She basically told me to suck it up. She kept giving me these 89yo GLF's who were going to go to surgery for hip replacements. One of the doc's saw how crappy I looked and we did an influenza culture (positive) My charge nurse told me to "do the best you can, I will try to find someone to cover you" She found one more nurse to come in from ICU and then she used her to "lighten our load" instead of sending me home.
I pulled it together and did the best I could. No whining. I am now really peeved. I feel like I should do something or say something to my director about the way this was handled. I wonder how many little old people I just killed off...
I'm interested in what you would have done in this situation and what you would do now... would you speak to your director? let it go? I am finally feeling human again and I have a few days off, but I don't think I will ever work that sick again. oh, and I have worked there a year and not called in...for anything.
Shame on where you work. I work in a clinic and if you are running a fever they send you home. I commend you on not wanting to leave them short staffed, but there are times where it is inevitable and this was one of those times.
Why in the world would this person think it would even be safe for you to stay. You work in a hospital setting where people's immune systems are already compromised, and they make you stay even with a positive Influenza culture:eek: . I never want to visit this ER, if I wasnt sick to begin with I would be when I left:madface: . Now I know that many would not agree with me, but I would file and incident report. Maybe that would open their eyes and then they would realize "THAT YOU DON'T KEEP NURSES OR ANYONE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER AT WORK WHEN THEY HAD A POSITIVE INFLUENZA CULTURE".
You don't owe your employer anything to "fix" their staffing problems. There are always agency nurses, who can be called, but management doesn't want to pay the costs for them.
If you had a fever and pos culture, you were contangious to the patients and to staff. I'm sure your supervisor is not going to appreciate, when the rest of the staff becomes ill, due to being exposed to your illness.
Honestly, next time this happens, call in sick and don't let them bully you into coming in.
Had this happened at the ED where I worked, the docs would have sent you home. No questions, no whining from the supervisor...your tuchis would have been sent home.
Shame on where you work. I work in a clinic and if you are running a fever they send you home. I commend you on not wanting to leave them short staffed, but there are times where it is inevitable and this was one of those times.
Chaya, ASN, RN
932 Posts
This is similar to what they teach us about pain; ie; pain is what the patient says it is. You are the only one who can assess how sick you feel so why ask your managers if you really need to come in? You know when you're too sick to work. Period. Don't give them a mixed message; call out. It will never be convenient for the people working short but it can't be helped. It doesn't sound like you abuse they system so next time do what you gotta do.