Requesting off work

My surgery is going to be somewhere in November-December so I'm looking in to talking to the people at work to get some time off. My surgeon said that he would like me to take an entire MONTH off. I'm really nervous that I won't able to get an entire month off from work. I'm an RN at a pediatric hospital and winter is of course our busy season. I don't want to have to wait until next Febuary to get the surgery (when busy season is over) but I'm scared they won't approve my leave!!!! Did anyone else have this problem? I'm hoping that I really only need 2-3 weeks off.. I think I'd be more likely to get approved at work if the leave was only 2 weeks or so.  I  do work 12 hour shifts but it's night shift (so the pace is a little slower).

Thanks guys!

You should be able to get off of work.  If you work for a big hospital they have the Family Medical Leave Act, which surgery should be covered by.  Talk to your supervisor about this.  Also, were I work (VA hospital), staff can be designated as 'light duty' and we do odd jobs that do not require intense work.

I'm a CNA on a tele floor at a local hospital. I had lap realize band on march 20th and took 2 weeks off. My manager didn't have an issue with it which I was nervous about because I just started this job back in Dec so I didn't have any sick leave saved up. It went fine and going back to work wasn't bad I just get tired a lot easier. We don't have light duty on our floor because none of our pts. are ever light duty. Good luck but the sooner you talk to your manager the better that way they know whats going on.

I think 2 weeks off would be good. My mother had her Rny surgery on a thursday and was able to move fairly well and go to my grandma's birthday party on a Sunday. I believe the deciding factor is if your surgery is open or lap because, open surgeries can keep you out longer than a lap. Whether it's slow work or not open surgeries need a little more healing time and with that you may be physically drained.

Thanks guys. My surgery is laproscopic so I'm hoping that healing time will be less than the surgeon requests. I don't really know anything about FMLA so I'm going to have to look into it.. I was just paranoid that my manager would say that the floor would be too busy and that I'd have to wait to have my surgery until busy season slows down. I wasn't planning on telling her what type of surgery I am having because I don't want her to say that I can "wait" because it's elective surgery.

Had surgery Tuesday, left the hosptial Friday morning, back at university on Monday. (Lap, not open).

hey there!!!

i was out of work from a monday to a monday.. i didnt have any problems.. i was a bit slow.. and they will out u on light duty, by doctors request!

stacie marie