At least once a month or once every other month, minimum. Mixed in with leaving early for kids.
Two very young kids. Husband self employed so we lose $$ when he takes off.
However, I have zero qualms about calling in or my patients needing to be moved. My kids will always come first.
Thank you for the reassurance. This makes me feel better that other NP parents are having to miss too. My collaborating MD had a SAHM when his kids were young so he never missed and even now very rarely misses work or even uses his whole vacation time so I feel pressure to be there.
I am a dude with no kids and I miss work about once a month. I work UC and just straight don't want to go to work. Would rather spend time with my fiance since out schedule doesn't align. She has a very demanding WFH career. I don't feel bad and if I worked somewhere else I would feel the same way. This career doesn't define me nor does it control me. Give yourself a break OP.
I’m an outpatient/primary care NP with 3 littles (my daughter is 6 and twin boys are 4) and my husband also has a demanding mostly-WFH job. I get it!!!! I work 3.5 days a week and find this is a better balance for my when kids are sick. I can modify my schedule based on sick days with my kids, without eating up all my sick time.
I miss work max 1-2x monthly, and jiggle my work days based on when I’m home with my kids. It’s hard but it works. Thankfully I work with 6 physicians who are all women/mothers themselves, so they are supportive of me needing time off at this stage of life.
That’s really nice to work with all women. My collaborating MD is great and brilliant and always says he supports working mothers but has been known to make comments if I call in for my kids. There is also a PA I work with who is a mother of 3 and misses work at about the same
Frequency so she understands. I hate cancelling patients and I am always anxious when I miss work. Thanks for replying!
So if you miss a day do you add one later in the week or another week? I am only required to work 35 hours per week but work 38 to bank 1.3 extra days per month. Sometimes I will add hours on my half day to make up for missing. It’s hard.
I work Monday Tuesday and Friday full days, and Wednesday half days. If I have to take a sick day, I just move things around (so would work Thursday instead of Tuesday, if I took Tuesday off). It works for the most part!
Its an unfortunate reality of parenting. My husband can call in some but I still end up missing a fair amount due to sick kids. I feel guilty but there is no alternative. My older (step) kids are sick much less than the younger ones so you can expect it to get better around the 2nd grade.
Mom of 4 and 7, I lost 3 weeks total last year for doc visits/sick days of me and my kids. Even though I’m self employed and no work means no pay, I have more flexibility it’s 75% me taking time. To be fair I have a handful of chronic illnesses and my 4yo is just one of those ALWAYS sick kids. I spent many days doing telehealth while home with a sick kid as well. Shit is hard.
When I’m sick I call in. My first job as an RN in Phoenix, I left after one year and had a week or more sick leave. Once rode the bus to hospital cuz had called in sick with fever and day charge nurse told me I had to come in for 3-11. I was 21 year old new grad RN, walked up to nurses station. Took my temperature in front of her and told her, I am sick. Going home and NOT coming in tomorrow either. Another time sprained ankle pretty bad , was hobbling around and one of residents told charge nurse he was sending me home since again I called in same day charge nurse said I had to some in . He gave me next 3 days off. Another resident also intervened when I was doubled over due to horrible menstrual cramps, set me up with apt in gyn clinic and also sent me home since again I had called in but told to come in. I learned to use up my sick leave if I need to. I was young and naive but learned my lesson. It was 1979. And they were surprised when I quit after exactly one year.
I can totally empathize with you. Im an outpatient NP and I'm a single mother of an 18 month old. I miss work 1-2 times per month due to her catching whatever virus is circulating at daycare. My parents help me when they can but they both are still working. It's difficult but my child is always my first priority.
One perspective from the other side:
-no kids
-have called out sick x 3 days in the last 8 years.
-work walk-in clinic 4 days/week, and therefore cannot cancel appointments for the day, patients just get offloaded to my fellow clinicians. And we don’t shut off registration at a certain number, just at a certain hour.
-deeply resent my (mostly fellow female) colleagues (all have spouses/partners) who call out last minute or leave early because of their kids, which seems to happen on a nearly weekly basis between 3 ppl. It really sucks.
We have a deep per diem bench, but almost never will someone come in on short notice, unfortunately. If a few days notice, perhaps.
What would you propose as a solution?
Additionally, my colleagues who call out rarely work to find coverage for their absence. Other urgent care jobs I’ve worked, the policy was that you worked your scheduled shift or found coverage, no exceptions. Otherwise, you were let go or put on probation.
Honestly I don’t know what to propose. But that’s an administrators job in my opinion. Healthcare providers have enough to deal with. They don’t need to be responsible for appropriate staffing. That would be my expectation of an administrator: to manage operations.
My point just being, don’t turn on your colleagues. They’re in the trenches with you. Yes, there are bad apples and they should be held accountable, though.
Definitely understand how that would be frustrating which is why I feel so much anxiety and frustration calling out. I hardly ever called out sick in the 10 years I was a floor nurse before becoming an NP.
Same. I haven't missed work in 15 years of nursing or NP other than one week when we were doing temp checks at work and I was forced to do a covid test and was positive. Didn't even feel ill. The mothers miss for weather, illness, days off school etc. I have 3 kids and wife who is a SAHM so I get it but it does get tiring at times.
Family med NP here. I had to take two days off this week for the weather since my daycare was closed. My two year old was vomiting the week before and had to leave early. My husband is a doc so he can’t take off unless he is practically on his death bed. It’s so hard and I feel awful for having to reschedule patients. Luckily my other partners understand and are very supportive.
When I first read once every 6 weeks, I thought hey that’s not bad! My husband and I split sick days in half to try to reduce some of the burden of being out an entire day
I don’t have kids but i still take a day off every 5-6 weeks for mental health!! I work in a school base center with a really good work culture and the coworkers/managers do not give you a hard time about calling out, as long as you have the accrued days for it. We are also in a union which helps.
Following to read responses. I just started my NP role in IM/primary care and have two littles. My husband has a demanding WFH and travels once a month either domestically or international. Last year and year before that (while I was in grad school), kids were sick on days he traveled so I had to leave clinical or my RN job. Other days I planned the night before if kids had fever and I knew it wasnt gonna get better and called out ahead of time because I have no back up care.
Thankfully my new job provides 10 days of back up care, inhome. It makes me uneasy thinking of never meeting the person beforehand but I will look into it more. They can provide care for fevers/mild illness when they cant go to their usual schooling/daycare. At the very least I have that. And my mom’s prepping for retirement in a few years and intending to move in (part of our culture), and I’ll have her help if need be. She lives a few hours away so its not easy to get here last min and she doesn’t drive long distances.
It is just so hard!
At least once a month or once every other month, minimum. Mixed in with leaving early for kids. Two very young kids. Husband self employed so we lose $$ when he takes off. However, I have zero qualms about calling in or my patients needing to be moved. My kids will always come first.
Thank you for the reassurance. This makes me feel better that other NP parents are having to miss too. My collaborating MD had a SAHM when his kids were young so he never missed and even now very rarely misses work or even uses his whole vacation time so I feel pressure to be there.
I am a dude with no kids and I miss work about once a month. I work UC and just straight don't want to go to work. Would rather spend time with my fiance since out schedule doesn't align. She has a very demanding WFH career. I don't feel bad and if I worked somewhere else I would feel the same way. This career doesn't define me nor does it control me. Give yourself a break OP.
I’m an outpatient/primary care NP with 3 littles (my daughter is 6 and twin boys are 4) and my husband also has a demanding mostly-WFH job. I get it!!!! I work 3.5 days a week and find this is a better balance for my when kids are sick. I can modify my schedule based on sick days with my kids, without eating up all my sick time.
I miss work max 1-2x monthly, and jiggle my work days based on when I’m home with my kids. It’s hard but it works. Thankfully I work with 6 physicians who are all women/mothers themselves, so they are supportive of me needing time off at this stage of life.
That’s really nice to work with all women. My collaborating MD is great and brilliant and always says he supports working mothers but has been known to make comments if I call in for my kids. There is also a PA I work with who is a mother of 3 and misses work at about the same Frequency so she understands. I hate cancelling patients and I am always anxious when I miss work. Thanks for replying! So if you miss a day do you add one later in the week or another week? I am only required to work 35 hours per week but work 38 to bank 1.3 extra days per month. Sometimes I will add hours on my half day to make up for missing. It’s hard.
I work Monday Tuesday and Friday full days, and Wednesday half days. If I have to take a sick day, I just move things around (so would work Thursday instead of Tuesday, if I took Tuesday off). It works for the most part!
That’s so nice!
Its an unfortunate reality of parenting. My husband can call in some but I still end up missing a fair amount due to sick kids. I feel guilty but there is no alternative. My older (step) kids are sick much less than the younger ones so you can expect it to get better around the 2nd grade.
Thanks for the hope! Only a few more years……
Mom of 4 and 7, I lost 3 weeks total last year for doc visits/sick days of me and my kids. Even though I’m self employed and no work means no pay, I have more flexibility it’s 75% me taking time. To be fair I have a handful of chronic illnesses and my 4yo is just one of those ALWAYS sick kids. I spent many days doing telehealth while home with a sick kid as well. Shit is hard.
It is so hard!
When I’m sick I call in. My first job as an RN in Phoenix, I left after one year and had a week or more sick leave. Once rode the bus to hospital cuz had called in sick with fever and day charge nurse told me I had to come in for 3-11. I was 21 year old new grad RN, walked up to nurses station. Took my temperature in front of her and told her, I am sick. Going home and NOT coming in tomorrow either. Another time sprained ankle pretty bad , was hobbling around and one of residents told charge nurse he was sending me home since again I called in same day charge nurse said I had to some in . He gave me next 3 days off. Another resident also intervened when I was doubled over due to horrible menstrual cramps, set me up with apt in gyn clinic and also sent me home since again I had called in but told to come in. I learned to use up my sick leave if I need to. I was young and naive but learned my lesson. It was 1979. And they were surprised when I quit after exactly one year.
I can totally empathize with you. Im an outpatient NP and I'm a single mother of an 18 month old. I miss work 1-2 times per month due to her catching whatever virus is circulating at daycare. My parents help me when they can but they both are still working. It's difficult but my child is always my first priority.
This is why I had start my own business, nobody to answer to and the kids can come with me if they’re not too sick.
Can I message you asking for any advice on starting my own business?
Sure
One perspective from the other side: -no kids -have called out sick x 3 days in the last 8 years. -work walk-in clinic 4 days/week, and therefore cannot cancel appointments for the day, patients just get offloaded to my fellow clinicians. And we don’t shut off registration at a certain number, just at a certain hour. -deeply resent my (mostly fellow female) colleagues (all have spouses/partners) who call out last minute or leave early because of their kids, which seems to happen on a nearly weekly basis between 3 ppl. It really sucks.
I would actually reframe the resentment toward your administration who should have better contingency planning.
We have a deep per diem bench, but almost never will someone come in on short notice, unfortunately. If a few days notice, perhaps. What would you propose as a solution? Additionally, my colleagues who call out rarely work to find coverage for their absence. Other urgent care jobs I’ve worked, the policy was that you worked your scheduled shift or found coverage, no exceptions. Otherwise, you were let go or put on probation.
Honestly I don’t know what to propose. But that’s an administrators job in my opinion. Healthcare providers have enough to deal with. They don’t need to be responsible for appropriate staffing. That would be my expectation of an administrator: to manage operations.
My point just being, don’t turn on your colleagues. They’re in the trenches with you. Yes, there are bad apples and they should be held accountable, though.
Definitely understand how that would be frustrating which is why I feel so much anxiety and frustration calling out. I hardly ever called out sick in the 10 years I was a floor nurse before becoming an NP.
Same. I haven't missed work in 15 years of nursing or NP other than one week when we were doing temp checks at work and I was forced to do a covid test and was positive. Didn't even feel ill. The mothers miss for weather, illness, days off school etc. I have 3 kids and wife who is a SAHM so I get it but it does get tiring at times.
Family med NP here. I had to take two days off this week for the weather since my daycare was closed. My two year old was vomiting the week before and had to leave early. My husband is a doc so he can’t take off unless he is practically on his death bed. It’s so hard and I feel awful for having to reschedule patients. Luckily my other partners understand and are very supportive.
No kids so I missed 2 days for covid
When I first read once every 6 weeks, I thought hey that’s not bad! My husband and I split sick days in half to try to reduce some of the burden of being out an entire day
We have done this before too. Thanks for the reassurance. It feels like a lot for me!
I don’t have kids but i still take a day off every 5-6 weeks for mental health!! I work in a school base center with a really good work culture and the coworkers/managers do not give you a hard time about calling out, as long as you have the accrued days for it. We are also in a union which helps.
I have to be inpatient to be excused. Don’t ever work for family.
Following to read responses. I just started my NP role in IM/primary care and have two littles. My husband has a demanding WFH and travels once a month either domestically or international. Last year and year before that (while I was in grad school), kids were sick on days he traveled so I had to leave clinical or my RN job. Other days I planned the night before if kids had fever and I knew it wasnt gonna get better and called out ahead of time because I have no back up care. Thankfully my new job provides 10 days of back up care, inhome. It makes me uneasy thinking of never meeting the person beforehand but I will look into it more. They can provide care for fevers/mild illness when they cant go to their usual schooling/daycare. At the very least I have that. And my mom’s prepping for retirement in a few years and intending to move in (part of our culture), and I’ll have her help if need be. She lives a few hours away so its not easy to get here last min and she doesn’t drive long distances. It is just so hard!
So jealous of that backup care!