First shift and I'm feeling unwell

[florenceflossie]

I've got my first shadowing shift as a HCA this evening. Was all ready to go ... And suddenly just started feeling really unwell.

I've got a headache which is making it hard to lift my head, and feeling nauseous. I've got a temperature.

I've got an hour until I'm meant to be there
...

It's going to look really unprofessional to call in and rearrange isn't it 😩

Yes it will look bad. Can you dose yourself up and just do it?

No if you’re ill you’re I’ll. just be effusive with your apologies.

I wa going to say YABU but I’m assuming you work with quite a vulnerable population, so you shouldn’t go in unwell.

How suddenly did it come on? Yes it will look awful but if you can't do it you can't do it

Poor you! There is a really nasty virus about at the moment and I felt exactly like that at the weekend. The good news is it went away as quickly as it started after about a day. Yes it’s not ideal but I don’t think you should be going into a hospital ward and giving it to the patients. Hope you feel better soon.

Is it definitely an illness or do you think you could be having a placebo/nerves thing?

Yes it will look unprofessional. You know what happens - half an hour after the shift starts, all of a sudden you'll be fine, stuck at home and wishing you'd gone in. If you just go in, you'll be so wrapped up in what's happening that you'll forget all about feeling unwell.

The NHS is notorious for expecting staff to come in when Ill; so you need to think very carefully before you call in sick as they won’t have a very high opinion of you.

If I were you I’d take some paracetamol, lie down for an hour, then reassess. If you can power through I would definitely go and just explain you feel off colour once you’re in. It’s always better to get ‘sent’ home ill in these sorts of cases.

Yes, but puking on someone won't look great. You don't sound well enough to go really.

I would drug myself up and go.

I would go in aswell....otherwise you will look flaky.

Please please ignore the advice telling you to go in. You are starting a new job as a HCA which is a job that you should absolutely not be doing if you are unwell.

At the very least call them, explain your symptoms and tell them that you are able to do the shift if you take a lot of drugs to see you through but that you aren't sure what best practice is where illness is concerned.

If you happen to be working with any immunosuppressed patients then you could kill them by taking a bug in there. Please call them and find out what they suggest.

Phone and rearrange.

You can't go to walk as a HCA while you're feeling like that!

You can't go in, you most likely have a virus of some sort, so "dosing yourself up" and going to work means potentially making a vulnerable person very ill indeed.
You need to call and let them know. Personally I think I'd embellish it a bit and tell that that I'd actually vomited. I know it's a lie but it's then a black and white issue, as they will need to follow the 48hr rule (which I really hope they enforce!).
It's rubbish timing, but if you're ill, you're ill. Get well soon

What did you do, OP?

I wouldn’t worry too much OP. It’s so busy (assume you’re going into a hospital setting) that people won’t have time to think on it. You can’t help being ill and shouldn’t go in if you are. Hope you feel better soon.

This happened to me once. I went in and presented myself so that they knew I wasn't faking and they sent me home.
I went in on day 3, and everything was fine.

Can you call them an explain and say you’re willing to come in but wasn’t sure what was best for infection control.

I hope you're feeling better now, OP. Did you go to work or did you call in to rearrange the shift? If you were shadowing someone you would have been supernumerary so don't worry too much.

You won't be counted in the staffing numbers so won't be letting any patients down. Phone up and explain that you don't feel well and that you will phone them tomorrow to update them.

I’d go in. At worst they’ll see that you’re ill and send you home, at least you made the effort. I wouldn’t think very much of someone calling in sick on their first day I’d think it’s something they’ll end up doing on the regular.

I bet everyone saying don’t go in because it’s a hospital has never worked in the NHS!
Doctors and nurses regularly HAVE to go in feeling terrible and dosing themselves up to cope. Sorry but it is always vied badly if you phone in sick.

If you're dealing with vulnerable patients you really don't want to give them the virus. Can you dose yourself up and report on and explain how you're feeling? Better you get sent home I think, going in shows it's real.

I don't mean to ask the obvious, but could it be nerves? When I am nervous it sometimes manifests as similar symptoms.

It would be unprofessional to go and give something to vulnerable people. And if you're shadowing, you're presumably an extra that doesn't even need to be covered. Ring them up and explain.