I have been ill since last weekend (on and off, I have times that I feel okay), but earlier in the week, I was having diarrhea x 3 days (TMI, I know) and actually had a syncopal episode while at home alone (not really sure why - I considered dehydration, but I've been keeping fluids down and really trying to push fluids). I worked the two days following this episode (nearly passed out again in a patient's room last night) and today I am feeling bad again. So I called my supervisor to let her know I am ill and she pretty much went off on me, said we were busy and I needed to come in or work this weekend (my weekend off, after the busy week we've had -- I desperately need the days off).
So I'm working today (I have to leave in a few minutes, in fact), and I'm really frustrated over it. I have a splitting headache and I ache all over and I'm horribly nauseous, despite the 12.5 of Phenergan I took (maximum dose I can take w/o getting drowsy).
So what do you do? I work in a small hospital in a rural area, and most days I like my job and the people I work with (except my supervisor, but nobody likes her). Plus, the hospital is having its annual budget crisis and they're threatening layoffs -- when we're understaffed to begin with (I can totally see how it's better to lay off full time nurses and bring in agency when they're swamped...)
I'm off to work -- thanks to anyone reading this for letting me vent.
So sorry ADN02.. truly. That really bites. I would have just told her "sorry, I'm sick, and I'm going home. It's evident YOU don't value my health or wellbeing, but I do. I am NOT able to work the double.. you should be grateful I came in at all while ill. Do NOT expect THAT to happen again in the future." :angryfire She could not have stopped you from leaving, nor proven that you were not, indeed ill.
It's true...nurses are NOT allowed to be sick. Wasn't that somewhere in our contract?
I must say our MGR. is far more empathetic and doesn't get "put out" if we have to call in, but our system suks, too. We have to use up THREE (consecutive) vacation days to get an actual sick day. So if you just need to be out for one day, it's not taken out of your "sick days" but it used from vacation time. Three sickdays are really three vacation days used. Has to be OVER htree consecutive days to count as SICK days. :stone That is so wrong. Why HAVE sick days then? Just for "long term" ilness ?
P.S. I'll have to remember the handshake thing...I could just see the look on my supervisor's face...
Make sure you have an appreciative smile also. After the hand shake, mentioned something about there seemed to be a smuge or something in her eye (hoping she would touch her eye with the shaken hand afterwards).
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We have to use up THREE (consecutive) vacation days to get an actual sick day. So if you just need to be out for one day, it's not taken out of your "sick days" but it used from vacation time. Three sickdays are really three vacation days used. Has to be OVER htree consecutive days to count as SICK days. :stone That is so wrong. Why HAVE sick days then? Just for "long term" ilness ?
Exactly. What is the point of having sick days vs. vacation days if all you can touch really is vacation days? I've worked here three years and I've only been able to use "sick" days once -- after I'd been hospitalized and made to stay off of work for nearly two weeks.
Exactly. What is the point of having sick days vs. vacation days if all you can touch really is vacation days? I've worked here three years and I've only been able to use "sick" days once -- after I'd been hospitalized and made to stay off of work for nearly two weeks.
It stinks, I know. My guess is that this is one way of preventing all those "I have a headache/cold/ (you insert whatever) and can't come in today" calls.
I think they attempt to reduce these call-ins by making it less "amenable" to us.. if we know we will have to use up three vacation days first, we aren't so apt to call in with the "little stuff"... that's my take on it, anyway. As always, it's all about THEM and THEIR $$ rather than about the health (be it physical or emotional) of their staff... who MAKE the profits for their pockets. Were it not for the nurses, they would have to shut the doors.
So hey... if you're sick, suk it up and go to work, right? Just as 99.9% of us do all the time.
Wow! I thought most places used Paid Time Off hours instead of separate sick/vacation hours. PTO is great and there still is a small cache of sick time for extended illness.
Why do we nurses come down so hard on other nurses for illnesses? While our immune systems are probably better than most, we are still human and still get sick. Sigh.
Where I use to work--you could only be sick once every forty five days,if you called in more than that--then you were counseled. If you were counseled twice then you would be put on the three steps you're out program. It was actually better to be off (with MD's note ,of course) for several days as that only counted as one episode. My advice would be to go to your MD and have him take you off work until you recover. You need to be your own advocate!
I actually have a doctor's appt. tomorrow with my PCP - I think I"m going to see if he'll order a couple days bedrest for me..I think I need that worse than anything else right now. :stone
Specializes in Geriatrics, acute hospital care, rehab.
I'm so sorry you are sick and are having to work. Almost every nurse I know has been put in this position at one time or another and in my personal experience, it creates resentment.
Too bad you can't just call in, say you are sick, thank you very much, and hang up.
Being union, that's exactly what we do. We call the staffing office, tell them we are sick and that's it! They aren't suppose to even ask if we are ill.
jnette, ASN, EMT-I
4,388 Posts
So sorry ADN02.. truly. That really bites. I would have just told her "sorry, I'm sick, and I'm going home. It's evident YOU don't value my health or wellbeing, but I do. I am NOT able to work the double.. you should be grateful I came in at all while ill. Do NOT expect THAT to happen again in the future." :angryfire She could not have stopped you from leaving, nor proven that you were not, indeed ill.
It's true...nurses are NOT allowed to be sick. Wasn't that somewhere in our contract?
I must say our MGR. is far more empathetic and doesn't get "put out" if we have to call in, but our system suks, too. We have to use up THREE (consecutive) vacation days to get an actual sick day. So if you just need to be out for one day, it's not taken out of your "sick days" but it used from vacation time. Three sickdays are really three vacation days used. Has to be OVER htree consecutive days to count as SICK days. :stone That is so wrong. Why HAVE sick days then?
Just for "long term" ilness ? 