AWOL!
Getting fired isn’t always about dramatic mistakes—it can be as simple as not showing up. In nursing, managers and staffing coordinators aren’t ghost hunters, yet they often assign duties to phantoms—nurses who never show up for their shifts.
As author Jarod Kintz joked:
“I like to call in sick to work at places where I’ve never held a job. Then when the manager tells me I don’t work there, I tell them I’d like to. But not today, as I’m sick.”
But in real life, this kind of humor becomes a management nightmare.
Termination = Fired
I worked at a hospital where “ghost nurses” were a real issue. These were staff members scheduled for shift after shift—but no one ever actually saw them. Yet their names kept appearing on the roster, taking up slots and overtime from those who actually showed up.
These ghosts made the staff list look full, but in reality, the hospital was short-staffed, and the working nurses were drowning in exhaustion and frustration.
Speak Up and… Get Fired?
One particularly rough week, I had enough. After carrying the weight for missing staff, I left a voicemail for my manager:
“You need to hire real staff—not fill the schedule with names no one ever sees. You’re dangerously understaffed, and using ghosts to pad the roster isn’t helping patients or the rest of us!”
What I didn’t realize was that speaking the truth could get me in trouble.
Fired Fast
The next day, I was told I might be suspended. Why? Because my “tone” on the voicemail was “offensive.” I tried to explain—I’m from New York, we talk with urgency! But it didn’t matter.
Still, I held back from exploding. As President Harry Truman once said:
“It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose your own.”
I didn’t want my honesty to be my downfall. I smiled, said I’d be more careful, and moved on—barely.
Quitting vs. Consequences
Eventually, management addressed the issue of no-call/no-shows. But I’ll never understand how people could not show up, not call, and still keep their jobs.
Why not just pick up the phone and say, “I can’t make it”? Even a few hours’ notice is better than silence.
Here’s the harsh truth:
Ghosting your job is the quickest way to get fired.
Final Thought
Yes, nurses face burnout, stress, and pressure. But if you’re scheduled to work—show up or speak up. If you repeatedly go AWOL, don’t be shocked when you’re shown the door. Once you’re fired, going back usually isn’t an option.
Be accountable. Be present. If you need time off, communicate it. Otherwise, your silence might be the loudest message your employer hears.
Wow, I’ve never heard of a situation like this before. I’m not surprised you finally blew your top. At my place of employment, if you don’t show up for work – especially if you don’t call in first, you’re gone. When I first read this it sounded like the hospital didn’t want to spend the $ to hire enough people, so they filled the schedule hours with people who didn’t really exist. Crazy! That’s bad enough, but if if these people are real and aren’t showing up . . . have you looked around for another job? It sounds like a no win situation. (This is the fun part about a blog – you have a place to vent when you get mad.)
Thank you for your reply. I got another job.
I like this article.
Janet I am glad you enjoy this article. Thank you.