Comments on: Doctor’s Work Notes and Medical Ethics

By: T H

T H — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:25:10 +0000

Better have that ‘policy’ formalized. If it isn’t actually a real, written policy, you’re just asking for your own cephalgia.

Like you, I work nights and give 1 day for most anything – parents bringing in sick children, adults with the sniffles, broken finger, whatever – mainly because they’re going to lose a day sitting at the pharmacy trying to pick up their rx.

The other thing I might write (for food handlers and kids with draconian schools/daycares) is “No work/school until no fever more than 100.0 for 24 hours off of medication for fever.”

Employers should take some of this up: if they think their employee is too sick to work, then send them home.

It’s interesting, though. I’ve taken exactly 8 sick days (all dealing with a post-op recovery episode) since graduating from medical school in the mid 90′s. If I don’t show up to work, I don’t get paid. There are no sick days, no comp days, and the only thing I have is a “professionals’ agreement” with my colleagues to help out when something comes up. It works well. I help when I can and so do they.

By: frank

frank — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:35:41 +0000

so i am currently sitting on my couch fighting off a viral infection. i dont have insurance so i rely on a nurse friend of mine to get my required medicine. now heres the problem … my work is requiring me to bring in a note…mind you since i dont have insurance this tends to run me $100. personally i dont feel i should have to blow the cash just to make them feel better about me being there. i work in food service so me coughing or running a fever is enough grounds for me not to be there. what im basically asking is am i required to submit to my employer or should simply talking to them suffice.

By: jenn

jenn — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 06:07:39 +0000

The person(s)requesting the “doctor’s note” should pay the doctor’s fee. (The employer)
It is unethical in my opinion to bill the health insurance for a legal document required by the employer.
If the doctor does not do “legal” work, the patient should be referred to a lawyer. (Of course, to be paid by the person requesting the note.)
Any person cannot get through life without a note from their doctor: birth cert./death cert/ and everything in-between.
There ought to be a law!
I sympathize with doctors so busy they cannot have time to treat the sick people.
jenn

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:47:31 +0000

It’s really unfortunate that people always assume that everyone has family or financial ability to pay in advance for one daycare, and have to pay again for another person to watch your child when they are sick. I am a professional, but unfortunately I do not make enough money to pay two daycare providers (an example: daycare that is paid in advance for the ENTIRE month, is off for a whole week for Christmas. So that means that since I do not have any family or friends to watch my child, I have to pay another person to take over.) I barely make enough money to pay for one, and that is with state assistance. So for you to say this “inspired” them is utterly rediculous. They probably decided that since they had a family unfriendly employer that maybe they will just let that family member who is probably not the best person to watch a kid actually watch their kid because “after all” being able to feed them is a little more important.

The fact is, most people do have family or friends or financial means to accomodate the many illnesses kids pick up at daycare etc., but not all of us do. I am a single mother (literally). I have no family support at all. I make $3 more than minimum wage (and that’s with one year of college under my belt), and recieve zero child support. So for you to imply that individuals like myself are not professional simply because we are FORCED to stay home is ignorant. The last thing that I ever want to do is call in sick AGAIN. So please take that into consideration the next time you are considering firing an employee in a similar situation.

By: bed ridden

bed ridden — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 21:38:11 +0000

Right now i am in bed sick as a dog. I have lost three days worth of wages, and need to now pay thiry dollars for a doctors note and feel even worse today then ever. I am not ready to go back to work, but feel the pressure of losing my job. I am not someone who plays hookie, and have enough symptoms to take the rest of the week off. Cold, flu, smashing headache, dizzy, exhausted you name it. Not sure what i will tell my doctor, but if you all saw me in person you would hope to god i would not re enter the retirement community in which i work until i am at least looking like a human again. Any advice on what to say to my doctor to take a few more days to rest?

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Thu, 19 May 2011 19:57:00 +0000

I think each case must be looked at individually. For example, an RN working in neonatal intensive care has a fever of 101 to 102 for 3 days and sore throat, cough and sinus congestion for 5 days, calls out sick the 3 scheduled days of work that week. The other days she was sick were not work days. Because of calling out sick 3 days she goes to immediate care because it’s a weekend. Has a fever of 101.5 at time of exam. Rapid strep test negative. Doctor says it’s viral, and gives RX for cough/sinus congestion. RN explains to MD she works in NICU and masks are not allowed, persons sick with or without fever not allowed in NICU due to compromised patient population. Asked for note to return to work. MD gives note to return next day ( interesting that MD could know patient would be fever free next day). The RN was not scheduled fir work the next day so the MD wrote note to return the day after next. Now here’s where it gets ridiculous… Because the RN was off for 3 days prior to calling out sick for 3 days and then had 1 more day off after calling out sick and next scheduled work day..,, the employer says they must file for state disability. Omg! The rule is if you call out sick and the time you are off total is more than a week you have to file. It does not matter if you are sick the whole time, how many days you called out sick. The time was regular days off fir 3 days, then called out 3 days, and then had one more day off before next scheduled work day. This is absurd to be made to now pay an MD to fill out disability papers for calling out sick with a virus for 3 days only. The last time this happened my doctor refused to fill the papers out. The RN is now being told to do this again! Not all patients can work when they are sick. Where and who you work with is important. It may seem dumb to some MDs but premature babies can be severely compromised by infections and can even die. Our NICU says if you are needing to wear a mask, you shouldn’t be there. You must be free of fever for 24 hours before entering NICU. Parents and staff have to follow these rules. Once a visitor with cold symptoms and whose children had RSV visited and it spread. Several of babies ended up on vents, Every patient had to be moved out to separate rooms outside of NICU so the unit could be throughly cleaned. More staff required, higher acuities and care. Needless to say this cost quite a bit of money. So please ER MDs stop lumping your patient into a bunch of whimsy, liars, trying to take off work…. Because all employees CANNOT work with colds!

By: Michigan

Michigan — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:58:43 +0000

Just for the record, I hate being home sick. Daytime TV is just awful, and I get terribly bored. I do everything I can not to stay home sick: I exercise, I eat my veggies, I stay warm. But sometimes I have to stay home and get “rest and plenty of liquids”.

I have only been asked for a work note if my sick leave exceeds 5 days per year, which is an average in America.

By: Kipper

Kipper — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:05:22 +0000

It always seems ridiculous to me that comfortable white collar jobs like mine don’t require doctor’s notes but jobs where the employer frankly does not have as much invested in the employee can be draconian.

Some time ago I had a fairly major injury and doctor’s orders were no work, no driving for 4 weeks. Of course I worked at home as soon as I was able so the actual lost time less (and I was also obviously still physically impaired when I returned to the office), but I was never asked to produce a note.

By: jb

jb — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:31:40 +0000

If the visit is for a BS reason. I always write the same thing…” John Smith was seen at (time/date) treated and released to resume previously established responsibilities without any restrictions whatsoever…”

By: Nurse K

Nurse K — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:12:58 +0000

If you tell them the expectations before they’re hired (to be here a certain % of time including “manager discretion”) and they aren’t following that, then you don’t have to bumble around with doctors’ notes. Maybe they wouldn’t want the job and you can move on to other candidates. Maybe they’ll trade all their Sunday shifts with a coworker who doesn’t want to work as many weekdays in advance. You’re just pawning your job off on a doctor, really. Be a good manager and manage the people proactively.

Where are they going to get a doctor’s note on a Sunday anyway? The ER. What a waste, and your employee should be home resting if they’re truly sick anyway…