To take the full week off with flu

[BigEmpty]

Called in sick Monday with a chesty cough, nausea and lethargy. Went to see doctor who said it was viral and to take rest of day and Tuesday off work and see how I am by Wednesday

Tuesday symptoms worse so called in sick again. Mid way through Tuesday felt absolutely awful, was coughing my guts up and so lethargic I could barely move off sofa. Called NHS 111 who told me to go back to dr within 24 hours. Managed to get appointment by begging and was diagnosed with flu and told to take Wednesday off work and see how I am by Thursday.

So I woke up this morning (gone 9am, very unusual for me) and cough isn't as bad but raging headache and so lethargic I struggled to make myself a coffee. When cough does come on I bring up buckets of phlegm which is too thick to get past my throats and ends up going back down (sorry!!) when I breathe in I can actually hear it rustling.

Im a nurse so work with vulnerable people (old, diabetic, cancer etc) and I'm wondering if I should just say "fuck it" and call boss today and tell her I need rest of week off to get over it properly.

AIBU unreasonable to do this even though I can feel very slight improvement to my condition? (Apart from the lethargy which remains unchanged).

[Grumpyoldblonde]

No, of course you shouldn't work in this condition, you sound very poorly and will be no good to anyone especially in your line of work. You need to rest, if you are a nurse surely you know that? If you have proper flu you are likely to feel very tired for another couple of weeks too. Get well soon,

[BigEmpty]

Well yeah I know that but in our line of work it's the norm that unless you have one foot in a coffin, you get your arse to work.

Plus I've only been in this job 4 months, I'm worrie they'll think I'm a sick note.

I suppose because I feel slightly better than I did I can't help feeling I should just take paracetamol and crack on as normal but I'm having to remind myself it's a virus I'm carrying and potentially spreading.

I'm a community nurse btw so in a out of peoples homes if that makes any difference

[Awwlookatmybabyspider]

its nothing to do with you being unreasonable or not. You're sick. You need the time off.

[Lottapianos]

Absolutely not unreasonable. I would have thought that a week would be the minimum you would need off with flu. You need to look after yourself. And as you say, you will just spread it among all of your patients and colleagues.

[Awwlookatmybabyspider]

And if you're a nurse you'd be more unreasonable if you did go in. The flu can be fatal to vulnerable patients, can't it. My dad had community nurses. I wouldn't be pleased if you went out to him full of flu.
. Rest and concentrate on getting better

[RhodaBorrocks]

Please take the rest of the week off! I'm immunocompromised (transplant) and having an unwell nurse look after me would make me extremely anxious.

I've had my flu jab, but I'm still in bed right now with the dreaded virus doing the rounds - I ache all over and can only stay awake for an hour at a time. I'm pretty much certain I won't be back at work this week!