Sandy Storm whom do I serve?

Nurses Safety

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Sandy storm is en-route I feel it's strength echo in the wind that cautions me vigilance. My husband ,who is a Srgt.in the NYPD , has already been called in and is expected to be on duty for a minimum 48 hrs. I am here with my children and received "that" call, the one where I am sitting here wrestling with whom do I serve?

My area of work is an off site facility but as we are on disaster status I am expected to show up .The the hospital requires me to be in at 7am prepared to stay there through Tuesday am. The hospital has no concern for my children or situation that would mean in my case they would be left here alone. I ask myself questions like "Is it abandonment to not show up? Could I be fired ? Where do I stand legally if I choose my children's safety over patient's? As I sit here contemplating I am also thinking I know I can't be the only nurse making this decision tonight.

I consider, Have I not shown up before for emergencies through my 20 years of service. I have walked through snow to my thighs to receive a 25 pt load because only myself and one other nurse felt it our duty to show up.I have arrived in a blackout, on my night off ,in 2 different colored flip flops because it was all I could find scrambling in the dark.There I was left manning the ED cardiac unit alone with 2 active chest painers and no doctor in sight. I stood in the ED on 9/11 waiting for patients while my own husband was down there and I didn't know if he was safe.

I am aware as I'm writing this I am relieving my own conscience that the truth is I have already decided that this time I am not going to show up.

For weeks after hurricane Katrina I thought of the nurse's those who both stayed and those that didn't and how they each felt as the water gradually rose up. I couldn't in my own heart arrive at a decision would I have stayed with vented patients or raced home to my family instead.

So I am inviting a discussion that when faced with an emergency is the call to serve greater or to serve family first? Personally, I am not leaving my children,my mind is made up but the consequences of the decision I am yet to find out

Specializes in Public Health, L&D, NICU.

My husband and I both have essential jobs, but I would be absolutely comfortable leaving my little one with my parents or his parents. If I can get out of my neighborhood, I will be there. My big issue with my hospital is that they will NOT provide transportation (they used to send out the guard or the sheriff's department for nurses, now we have no such options) and they simplly tell us we are expected to come while the weather is still good and pay for our own hotel rooms. Nope. Sorry, not going to happen. If you want to provide empty patient rooms for us to stay in, I'll come stay as long as you want. But I am NOT going to to pay to work.

If I didn't have a viable option for my child, then work could go hang. My child comes first in my life, because no one else is going to but him first.

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

I love how certain management will assume that we all have family available to care for our children in an emergency.Many of my co-workers for various reasons do not have reliable,trustworthy family and it's no-one's business.The DON whom has raised nothing but vegetables and parrots is quick to tell us what we should do with our children ,gotta love that. And our organization has gotten so top-heavy and bloated that the "desk surfers" could staff the whole place.If none of the floor nurses reported for duty there are enough unit managers,(4) quality assurance(2) ,staff development (4) and supervisors(1) with the DON and ADON in the building) to staff the whole place in an emergency. One of the unit managers told me a month or so ago that " I would walk right out before I would get behind a med cart". Good to know. That attitude really does NOT inspire me to pack my bag and go camp out there for a week.I used to have respect for her....In past emergencies the admin talks about how much "fun" they had,eating pizza,surfing the net in the office in their pj's while the rest of us work short and worry about our homes,familes and pets.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

"My big issue with my hospital is that they will NOT provide transportation (they used to send out the guard or the sheriff's department for nurses, now we have no such options) and they simplly tell us we are expected to come while the weather is still good and pay for our own hotel rooms"

Wow - really nice of them. Sheesh.

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

My facility provided transportation a few winters ago when we had several significant snowfalls.It was ONE WAY ONLY-which was not disclosed until after they got everyone in there.It was so sad.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

a1blownawayiy8.gif.......if there is no one near by and no family.....your obligations are to your son. He needs one parent out of harms way.

Your husband is needed right now.

Specializes in LTC and School Health.

I will try my best to make it to work tomorrow. I don't have kids, just me and my husband. However, I will not put my life or my husbands' in danger to save another.

If I find it unsafe to drive to work, then I will call out.

I have been trapped hours in my car during a previous snow storm, freezing cold, dark, no heat or food. I was a single at the time and thought what the heck, I'll take my chances... I will NEVER do that again. I have also stayed the night at work, working off of 2-3 hours of sleep from sleeping on a hard office floor. I have paid some dues in my short nursing career, and sure I'll have more to pay.

My job will not provide transportation. However, if I need to stay overnight they will make arrangements.

Yes, many of us thought about this before we choose nursing, however employers should think about how to keep us safe to and from work.

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
My facility provided transportation a few winters ago when we had several significant snowfalls.It was ONE WAY ONLY-which was not disclosed until after they got everyone in there.It was so sad.

That was classy.:***:

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

OMG-you were so lucky you survived.I think PTSD would prevent me from EVER driving through snow again.It's funny,when I was younger this stuff didn't bother me as much as it does now.I have turned into my mother!I'm half of a wreck and I don't go in until the am.The nursing home is surrounded by water,my house is surrounded by trees and I am fretting.

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

Yes-we were promised the moon-even encouraged to bring our pets.One of my co-workers fell asleep standing up-she had worked back to back double shifts (nights through days) and wanted to leave for her day off.No-one was "available" to take her home.Several of us were told we had to stay and were under the impression we were mandated which they later denied so we did not get paid.My coworker was told to clock out at 3p and sleep and get up to work nights.At 10p they woke her up and told her they would not need her until 3am-at 2am they woke her up and told her they would not need her until 7am.I worked a double and was relieved almost an hour late-my relief was an extra nurse on another floor and the supervisors and admin were at a pizza party.Too busy having fun to worry about staffing,I guess.O I can't wait until tomorrow! We should be loosing power in the next couple of hours here in Pa along the Del. state line.Stay safe,everyone.

Specializes in Critical Care.
Sandy storm is en-route I feel it's strength echo in the wind that cautions me vigilance. My husband ,who is a Srgt.in the NYPD , has already been called in and is expected to be on duty for a minimum 48 hrs. I am here with my children and received "that" call , the one where I am sitting here wrestling with whom do I serve?

My area of work is an off site facility but as we are on disaster status I am expected to show up .The the hospital requires me to be in at 7am prepared to stay there through Tuesday am. The hospital has no concern for my children or situation that would mean in my case they would be left here alone. I ask myself questions like "Is it abandonment to not show up? Could I be fired ? Where do I stand legally if I choose my children's safety over patient's? As I sit here contemplating I am also thinking I know I can't be the only nurse making this decision tonight.

I consider ,Have I not shown up before for emergencies through my 20 years of service. I have walked through snow to my thighs to receive a 25 pt load because only myself and one other nurse felt it our duty to show up.I have arrived in a blackout, on my night off ,in 2 different colored flip flops because it was all I could find scrambling in the dark.There I was left manning the ED cardiac unit alone with 2 active chest painers and no doctor in sight. I stood in the ED on 9/11 waiting for patients while my own husband was down there and I didn't know if he was safe .

I am aware as I'm writing this I am relieving my own conscience that the truth is I have already decided that this time I am not going to show up .

For weeks after hurricane Katrina I thought of the nurse's those who both stayed and those that didn't and how they each felt as the water gradually rose up. I couldn't in my own heart arrive at a decision would I have stayed with vented patients or raced home to my family instead.

So I am inviting a discussion that when faced with an emergency is the call to serve greater or to serve family first? Personally, I am not leaving my children,my mind is made up but the consequences of the decision I am yet to find out

How old are your children? Surely if you are 20 years into nursing they are on the older side? Can you have your family care for them. As an experienced nurse and working in NYC you must know it is harder to get a job because of age discrimination and salary level as well as hospitals that have closed. I would advise caution, look at the nurses in DC that were fired for missing work during a blizzard when the roads themselves were shut done. The hospitals can be as cut throat as they want to be! Just saying!

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

For over 100 years, nurses have made storm preparation arrangements with their families so they could perform their essential function and be at work during blizzard/hurricane/tornados/coal strike/ floods. Why is today's generation shirking this aspect of our job?

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Why is today's generation shirking this aspect of our job?

What surprises me is that the OP has 20 years' experience as a nurse- so how young are those children? Also, it's not all of today's generation shirking this aspect- several of the nurses I work with are of that age group and not a single one called of today, nor are any outright saying they will tomorrow- it's actually the older nurses/techs who are threatening not to show up tomorrow.

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