Theresa Puckett, a practicing nurse who also is a professor with a PhD in nursing, had been working PRN at a hospital for 5 years. When she found herself experiencing chills, achiness and “feeling miserable” for 2 days, she went to an urgent care where she was given a prescription Oseltamivir and provided with a note to excuse her absence from work.
Soon, she was feeling a little better and, despite having “horrible coughing fits,” she decided to go to work. Her charge nurse encouraged her to leave work early after she had given her HS meds and clocked out at 9:30 p.m.
She was scheduled to work 2 days later and, again, went to work even though she was still feeling ill. The following day, she went to her Nurse Practitioner and was diagnosed with a secondary sinus infection and given a prescription for an antibiotic as well as another note to be off work.
The hospital’s attendance policy for PRN staff states that the staff may be terminated after 2 unexcused absences during a 60-day period. Even though she had 2 notes from different physicians that were provided to her work, she was terminated even though the policy is permissive that they “may be” terminated.
It is a shame that a hospital would choose to lose such an excellent staff member, who stays on the top of her practice by working clinicals even though her main job was as a nursing professor with 5 years of loyal service to that facility all because they would not consider the 2 excuse notes verifying that she was suffering from the flu.
Nurses are not like factory workers. We are taking care of sick people and to create a culture where a nurse feels obligated to come in when she is sick is against everything that health care industry stands for in improving wellness and promoting health.
Nurses should not feel guilty when they are ill and need to call in sick. I can understand that hospitals need reliable staff but, when a member is legitimately sick and cannot perform the services that are required of them, it’s not fair to the nurse, her patients and her coworkers.
I am outraged by this event and am bothered when any hospital has such a draconian policy in place. One hospital in Indianapolis had such a policy but, fortunately, changed it after lengthy protests from its staff.
What is the policy at your facility? Do you feel compelled to work when you are sick? Do you feel guilty because your coworkers may have a heavier load? Please leave your comments below.
Lynda Sheehan says
There may be a bigger problem here . It’s not always the policies, but rather the small minds that interpret the policies.
Margaret Kamajian says
I cannot understand our health care system, that would pressure nurses to work even when sick. Their concern is not having to find a replacement for that nurse on short notice, when their priority should be protecting their clients and staff from contagious illnesses. Hospitals already have such a poor record of spreading infections, and this policy just makes it a scarier place to be. Who would ever want to be admitted to a hospital that not only has antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other nosocomial infections being spread, but adds to it the very preventable contact with sick staff. It makes no sense whatsoever. Hospitals are not focused on prevention, just the bottom line. I had to report a staff member once to the administration, because she had gone into the small kitchen area to have her coughing and sneezing spell, while preparing her cup of tea, spreading her germs all over the place—unacceptable. If you are sick, stay home.
Stephanie Husemann says
It comes down to money! Hospitals do not want to pay nurses to be on call or implement float pools! Nurses are being mandated to cover absences and leave. Mandating creates guilt and creates division between shifts. Many nurses would rather work sick than be the reason another nurse gets mandated and has to work for 16 hours.
Kimberly S. Crepea says
I too was terminated for missing 3 days of work during my probationary period (90 days). I was being harassed and bullied by 2 old timer RNs and it caused me to have such an upset stomach and diarrhea that I missed work. There was no possible way that I could admit and discharge patients in a fast pace GI LAB with severe diahrrea. Finally, I made the decision to report the behavior of the 2 bully nurses to my supervisor. Supervisor turned it over to HR. One of the RNs admitted to the behavior and quit. However, the other RN continued harassing me, I had another abdominal bout and missed a third day of work and was terminated!
Kimberly S. Crepea says
I too was terminated for missing 3 days of work during my probationary period (90 days). I was being harassed and bullied by 2 old timer RNs and it caused me to have such an upset stomach and diarrhea that I missed work. There was no possible way that I could admit and discharge patients in a fast pace GI LAB with severe diahrrea. Finally, I made the decision to report the behavior of the 2 bully nurses to my supervisor. Supervisor turned it over to HR. One of the RNs admitted to the behavior and quit. However, the other RN continued harassing me, I had another abdominal bout and missed a third day of work and was terminated!
michele says
Nurses ARE factory workers. Just-in-time staffing, scripting etc, we are not treated as professionals unless manglement wants to emotionally manipulate us.
I worked for 25 years as an RN but I’m currently working as a package handler and before that at Mamazon. I was treated with more respect now than I was then. Mamazon especially gives workers generous time off and benefits starting Day 1. When I was told by a line manager “it’s your time off and you can take it how you please” it’s amazing I didn’t fall over dead from shock. Contrast that with healthcare in which the nurse has to beg and plead to take a few days off. I also, without fail, got breaks and lunch at Mamazon, rarely when I worked for hospitals.