Not sure how to react to this situation with a new PRN position
I recently started a PRN outpatient nursing position. When I was hired, I told them my availability would be 1–2 days/week. In hopes of speeding up orientation I’ve also been working some 4-hour shifts there in addition to 8 hour shifts at the hospital I’ve been with for awhile now. I was scheduled for a 5–10 a.m. ORIENTATION shift (important because patient care shouldn’t have been affected…) recently and had to call in sick because I was having severe morning sickness and couldn’t stop vomiting. I’m pretty early this pregnancy wasn’t ready to disclose it due to high risk. I started feeling better later that morning and went to my previously scheduled 11 a.m.–7:30 p.m. shift at my other hospital job.
While I was working at the hospital, the surgery center somehow obtained the internal extension for our charge nurse, called the hospital, got transferred to me through our work phone system, and questioned me about why I had called out with them but was evidently feeling well enough to be working at my other job. I felt pressured into revealing the pregnancy, which was extremely awkward.
The DON and administrator were both on the line, and they insinuated that I called out from the surgery center for the purpose of picking up an incentive shift at my other job. I explained that my hospital shift was already scheduled in advance and sent them screenshots of my schedule to show that I hadn’t picked it up after calling out.
Their response was essentially that there was “no need to try to justify it further,” that they wanted to “see the best in people,” and that they believed I “still had a future there.” I apologized in the moment because I was caught off guard, but afterward I started feeling like I had nothing to apologize for beyond the inconvenience of calling out. I was genuinely sick, and I had already been scheduled at my other job.
What really bothers me is that they contacted me through my other hospital while I was working instead of addressing the issue with me directly. This was also a one-time call out and the fact that they tried to investigate with such intensity is a bit… creepy.🤣
Would this cross a professional boundary for you? In my past experience, as long as you don’t abuse it I’ve never seen anyone questioned to this extreme for calling out sick. Is this a sign that I should run?
Posted Sep 30, 2026, 3:44 AM UTC