[gitterbug]

Well, got up this morning with several inches of snow on the ground, ice under the snow, bitter cold temps, and high wind gusts. Do not have to work today and will not answer the phone. But, since I know I am not affored any special accomendations for bad weather, I was wonderig what if anything your facility does to make sure it is staffed and the staff is safe in weather like this. Are you offered motel lodging? A cot in the utility room? Sleep on the floor or in your car? Do you eat free? Scrubs provided?

[truern]

Last time we were expecting inclement weather my nurse mgr told us all to "Make sure you leave early so you get to work on time!". I'm pretty sure he didn't mean it to sound so callous.

[AliRae]

Last winter our census was low-ish during one of the snowstorms, so a few of us who were on both days crashed in empty rooms. In the past, we've typically been able to sleep on stretchers in same-day units and get fresh scrubs the next morning. I think all that has changed this year. We're all still in th doghouse for going on strike over the summer, so I don't think they'll be very nice to us.

[Noryn]

I graduated in 1998 and to be honest, I really cannot remember a bad snow since then. Before that though while I was in nursing school I think each year we had a blizzard. It really depends on where you work. In the years when it was needed the nursing homes and hospitals actually sent employees after you in 4 wheel drive vehicles or sent the national guard after you. I am pretty sure that every hospital I worked at would let you stay if it was bad for free and would provide you with scrubs to wear.

I no longer work in a hospital but my current employer will put me in a motel if needed and when I worked for an insurance company a few years ago, you were able to get a hotel room on the company card along with a free meal, no questions asked.

I have pretty much though always had a 4 wheel drive vehicle not so much that I can get there but that I can get home

It really does depend on your definition of "bad" though. I have drove home many times with a few inches on the road but I always had a nice vehicle I could depend on and I went slow. I grew up in Southern WV so driving back and forth to school and my job, I had to drive on bad roads quite a bit.

[canoehead]

Working in Maine I have studded snow tires starting in October and haven't had any trouble, except during the ice storm in '97. even then I went in the ditch in my own driveway, not off the road. The second time I called them the plow guys followed me to the hospital, saying it was buy 2, get 1 free day, lol.

[gitterbug]

No real surprises here. How nice to be allowed to use uncomfortable beds in same day surgery area. Do not believe for one minute the NM gave a care as to how early you had to leave your home to be there on time, the NM just did not want the headache of filling the slots created by call-ins for weather. Scrubs are available and forget fresh undies, go comando all the way. Sorry if I sound nasty, but I get real tired of hearing the same old song and dance when bad weather hits. I too have plowed my own road home through many a bad storm, I actually pack 2 changes of underclothes and keep them in my trunk beginning in November and ending in March. I refuse to leave before the plows are out, just too dangerous on this mountain, but I do get there. Seems strange that most of the locals, who have nice, flat streets, even police to give them a ride, seem to be the first to call off for snow. Sorry for the vent, but I made it in for a special meeting the other day, 10 minutes early in fact, during some of the white out we were having, and guess what? No one, not even the boss showed up. Seems it was just too bad and their fingers were unable to dial the phone to notify the meeting was cancelled until Spring.