Forced to stay and work under mandatory evacuation?

Nurses Safety

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I live near the gulf where evacuating for hurricanes is a possibility around this time. The hospital where I work places nurses on teams. One team is forced to say, the other forced to come back 24 hrs after the hurricane is gone, and the other can come back when regular citizens come back.

My question can they legally do this? I was placed on the team that's forced to stay in the hospital with pts. They'll keep ICU, ER and MY floor open only.

There will be no extra pay, no bonus, just regular pay and time and 1/2 when you're in over time. Expected to sleep in the hospital, in semi-pvt room WITH ANOTHER CO-WORKER!

If the evacuation is mandatory how can they legally tell me to stay and WORK? Can I be fired for leaving?

Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
I'm done with this forum. I'm not going to sit here and read all the "oh just move to a different climate, you just got into nursing for the money, quit your job comments"

Where I work it's not "we'll all pull together as a team" you're family can stay, daycare for kids in the hospital utopia. I don't know why people ask anything on this site in the 1st place. Everyone here acts like "I'm miss supernurse who can do no wrong...so compassionate willing to pitch in and do anything for my pt's and co-workers. My question....where are all you people in MY hospital? Ha. What a joke.

Aaaaaaaaaand 3...2...1....butthurt!

Where am I??? I'M IN ANOTHER CLIMATE DUHHHHHH

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I'm done with this forum. I'm not going to sit here and read all the "oh just move to a different climate, you just got into nursing for the money, quit your job comments"

Where I work it's not "we'll all pull together as a team" you're family can stay, daycare for kids in the hospital utopia. I don't know why people ask anything on this site in the 1st place. Everyone here acts like "I'm miss supernurse who can do no wrong...so compassionate willing to pitch in and do anything for my pt's and co-workers. My question....where are all you people in MY hospital? Ha. What a joke.

Your hospital is what you make of it.

I guess if your hospital was entirely composed of people like you portray yourself to be then it would be a rather terrible place to work.

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For us it's usually snowmageddons. (Which actually have nothing to do with the snow but with the ice on the roads.)

If it even looks like I may be stuck, I take extra clothes, my meds, and food to get me through. Work provides a place to sleep, but they're stingy with meal vouchers and our cafeteria is so expensive a meal voucher rarely covers a whole meal.

Nursing in a hospital/LTC/etc. is a 24/7 job. It doesn't matter that it's a holiday. It doesn't matter that it's the weekend or the Super Bowl. It doesn't matter that the weather sucks. If you or your family were ill enough to be in the hospital, don't you want someone there to actually take care of them?

It could be worse. Imagine being stuck in the hospital for Katrina, with no power and not much of a supply of food and clean water.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
I'm done with this forum. I'm not going to sit here and read all the "oh just move to a different climate, you just got into nursing for the money, quit your job comments"

Where I work it's not "we'll all pull together as a team" you're family can stay, daycare for kids in the hospital utopia. I don't know why people ask anything on this site in the 1st place. Everyone here acts like "I'm miss supernurse who can do no wrong...so compassionate willing to pitch in and do anything for my pt's and co-workers. My question....where are all you people in MY hospital? Ha. What a joke.

Obviously not working with coworkers like you LOL. If you can't pretend to be be a supernurse on the internet where everything is fake well you fill in the rest of the conversation. I guess everyone is taken aback but your errr honesty.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.

I'm upset I missed the local Beerfest this weekend because there were patients at the hospital and I was scheduled to work...is this legal?

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Obviously not working with coworkers like you LOL. If you can't pretend to be be a supernurse on the internet where everything is fake well you fill in the rest of the conversation. I guess everyone is taken aback but your errr honesty.

I'm not a liar...or one to hide my feelings about something, especially online...on an anonymous site.

Oh I'm still commenting.... :uhoh21: lol

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
For us it's usually snowmageddons. (Which actually have nothing to do with the snow but with the ice on the roads.)

Well if I can get to work during CARmageddon..

To the poster referring to the abandoned nursing home in Katrina well if your GOING to go at least stuff your car full of walkie talkie LOL's at LEAST. I'm sure I could fit four in the backseat of my hatchback 2 in the front and the open trunk for the more agile. Or pop the seats back and 2 bed bound in the back 2 walkie talkies in the front. There's ALWAYS a way.

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I'm upset I missed the local Beerfest this weekend because there were patients at the hospital and I was scheduled to work...is this legal?

Then call in sick. If I see you I'll be sure not to post your picture to facebook...

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We are part of an assigned team at my facility also. I don't expect it to be family utopia, in fact, I know that staying through a hurricane will probably be worse than the 9th layer of you know where. It is, however, part of my employment agreement and I signed off on those terms. I'd check and see what you signed when you started. If it's what you agreed to, then it is very much legal for them to tell you that you're fired if you don't stay. Even if it's in the "fine print" of something you signed quickly upon taking the employment offer.

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Specializes in ICU.

Squatmunkie, I agree. I don't know where these hospitals are that allow your children to come, but I have worked at many different hospitals during hurricanes, and I have never been allowed to bring in my kids. Nor have I ever been fed. Nor have I received any compensation except for the hours I actually worked. It is hard when you have your own property to take care of, too. I have been called and told to "come in right now and be prepared to stay" when the hurricane was still 2 days out. I needed to be home to board my windows and make preparations for my kids and animals, but had to stop, drop, and roll for the hospital. We were treated like worker bees~ only administration and the doctors were treated like queen bees~ the nursing staff was treated like we were just underlings.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
This is what we object to when we object to people getting into nursing for the money only. You can move to an area that doesn't have hurricanes if you want.

Yes, but we have snowstorms, tornadoes and such. There will always be something.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
Then call in sick. If I see you I'll be sure not to post your picture to facebook...

Our house supervisor was there and then came to work the next day talking about it so I was glad that I actually have good work ethic. I understand it's rare these days, but I keep thinking that one day I'll be rewarded for it.

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