just a disclaimer: this was not written by me, it was forwarded to me by my husband. it made me think and i thought the people of all nurses would also be interested in reading this - especially those planning to volunteer in shelters (not to say that you shouldn't). this letter is being sent to the ny times as well as bill o'reilly. mods, if this would be better in another forum, my apologies.
i am a nurse who has just completed volunteer working approximately 120 hours as the clinic director in a hurricane gustav evacuation shelter in shreveport, louisiana over the last 7 days. i would love to see someone look at the evacuee situation from a new perspective. local and national news channels have covered the evacuation and "horrible" conditions the evacuees had to endure during hurricane gustav.
true - some things were not optimal for the evacuation and the shelters need some modification. at any point, does anyone address the responsibility (or irresponsibility) of the evacuees?
does it seem wrong that one would remember their cell phone, charger, cigarettes and lighter but forget their child's insulin?
is something amiss when an evacuee gets off the bus, walks immediately to the medical area, and requests immediate free refills on all medicines for which they cannot provide a prescription or current bottle (most of which are narcotics)?
isn't the system flawed when an evacuee says they cannot afford a $3 copay for a refill that will be delivered to them in the shelter yet they can take a city-provided bus to wal-mart, buy 5 bottles of vodka, and return to consume them secretly in the shelter?
is it fair to stop performing luggage checks on incoming evacuees so as not to delay the registration process but endanger the volunteer staff and other persons with the very realistic truth of drugs, alcohol and weapons being brought into the shelter?
am i less than compassionate when it frustrates me to scrub emesis from the floor near a nauseated child while his mother lies nearby, watching me work 26 hours straight, not even raising her head from the pillow to comfort her own son?
why does it insense me to hear a man say "i ain't goin' home 'til i get my fema check" when i would love to just go home and see my daughters who i have only seen 3 times this week?
is the system flawed when the privately insured patient must find a way to get to the pharmacy, fill his prescription and pay his copay while the fema declaration allows the uninsured person to acquire free medications under the disaster rules?
does it seem odd that the nurse volunteering at the shelter is paying for childcare while the evacuee sits on a cot during the day as the shelter provides a "daycare"?
have government entitlements created this mentality and am i facilitating it with my work?
will i be a bad person, merciless nurse or poor christian if i hesitate to work at the next shelter because i have worked for 7 days being called every curse word imaginable, feeling threatened and fearing for my personal safety in the shelter?
I had a long rant on this poster several pages back. I think it was because we're viewed as the "nanny state" because of all the bad publicity; however, what those who really don't know what they're talking about don't know is that there are several more "nanny states" out there. While most might be in the South, that doesn't meant it's just Louisiana.
As everyone here knows, EVERY LAST STATE in our country has more than their fair share of system abusers.
Then there are those people who think the low-lying areas (below sea level) should just be filled with water and wiped off the map. That the Louisiana Purchase was the biggest mistake the government ever made, etc.
That's just my interpretation of that "interesting" post :wink2:.
I was not able to spend any time volunteering post-Gustav (or Katrina, or Ike for that matter). However, regarding the original post, I find it interesting that there were no replies of similar shared experiences from our fellow nurses. I am sure things like this happened on occasion, as there are a few "bad apples" in every bunch. I am glad to read that the majority of posts speak to the determination, selflessness and spirit of help displayed by evacuees and volunteers alike. Glad, but not surprised.
I just read an interesting article, highlighting the shortcomings of our medical system in the face of a disaster (Katrina, San Diego Wildfires, etc.) and it was shocking, but not surprising.
This stood out: "A Kaiser Family Foundation survey released in August 2008 found that 84 percent of adults living in New Orleans face ongoing health challenges such as a physical or mental health challenge, a problem with health care coverage or access, or a health problem facing a child."
We can do something about it though! The CNA is attempting to organize and recruit more nurses for the RNRN, for just this type of emergency.
This letter is crap. So we are to believe that every evacuee is an alcoholic, drug abusing, ungrateful, disrespectful neglectful parent. There was no one that was a normal citizen down on their luck due to their homes and belongings being destroyed? This is really sad and just highlights how much racism and classist thinking exists in this country. I have a coworker in the US Health Corps that spent 2 weeks there helping out and had alot of encouraging and positive stories about the teamwork and the lovely ppl there.
First of all I will like to say a big THANK YOU to all the nurses that volunteer for these types of situations...that is very admirable and I thank you...
Now about the racist comment - Everyone's experience is different...I'm not saying that all evacuees are probably like this but the ones who are; the ones that ruin your entire day, are the ones that usually stand out in your mind and you really don't have the right to accuse someone of racism because they are venting on a personal experience they had...you weren't in her shoes.
I am an African West Indian (Caribbean) female (that lives in America) and I notice that a lot of African Americans are so quick to pull the racist card in every single situation...I mean, come on, a lot of times the crap is true! And it has nothing to do with someone being racist! Most of the time, people do act like she described in the lower class communities and ghettos and this does not only apply to any one particular race...did I think that this letter had a racist tone? No...it was simply what she witnessed...and I do witness behaviors like the one she descibe all the time! Am I trying to imply that all black people do drugs, spend large sums of money on things like expensive clothes and alcohol but don't care about the welfare of their children? NO...but there are many who are like this...and there are also many white, hispanic, asian etc. people who are also like this...so its not about someone being racist...quit acting like the victim and examine yourselves and your people...truthfully
I would like to respond to this forum & the e-mail at the center. First off, I am a RN in Shreveport, Louisiana where this e-mail originated & I volunteered during the hurricane at the exact shelter being spoken about. What was not given with that email was that on our local news, as well as national news programs we were slammed as volunteers as not having adequate preparation & that shelters were filthy, etc. When I volunteered what I saw were evacuees littering the ground despite the enormous amount of trash cans filling the shelter. It was not the countless volunteers trashing the place. I worked in the medical clinic which was set up by local hospitals and staffed only by volunteer doctors and nurses. I had many, many people come through to recieve their "prescription Meds". Somehow even with the days of planning departure from their homes, the remembered their cell phones, but forgot their medicines and when we had doctors willing to write them new prescreprions, they didn't have the $2 it would cost them and demanded that someone should be paying for their forgotten medicines. That was just a couple of things that really bothered me. They had 3 hot meals per day, a safe place to sleep- except for the moments they broke out in fights. I work in a local ER and had an evacuee at one point in the ER worried about the belongings they had left because of all the theft from other evacuees. I just though I would put my 2 cents in because I was sort of suprised by all the comments against the nurse in the original email, even by those who did not even volunteer during this hurricane at this shelter under scruitny.
And there is your comment from another who saw and witnessed first hand, and the truth is as the original letter stated.
For shame on those who throw the racist card. There was nothing in the original letter about race......
However it is assumed by those who have not a clue that it must be a racist.
I have seen this attitude again and again, ooooooohhhhhhhh racist and I am sick and tired of the nonsense.
These poor volunteers gave of their time and gave up their comfort to try and help those in need and instead got slapped around.
Unfortunately, it happens everywhere..............there is no perfect place on earth......I've been an RN toooooooo long to have misconceptions.
I know in my little corner of the world that there will be nights when I want to rip out my hair and scream in frustration over taking care of the "I'm intitled because I can scream and complain the loudest" and then there are the nights you sit by a pt's bed and want to cry because all they want is you to hold their hand, to be there in the middle of the night to chase away the fears to let them cry on your shoulder while meanwhile down the hall pt "buttons" is whinning they didn't get enough ice cream for dessert. And you have to get up and go quiet pt "buttons" and you promise to come back.........Some nights you make it back before your pt takes that last struggling breath and they were not alone, other nights you don't and the guilt rides you. Denial and anger greiving and eventually acceptance all follow.
You are a nurse, you chose to give your life in service to others.
Take race out of the equation, it really is not an issue when you give your all always to everyone who comes through your door. They will not all be grateful, they will not all be nice and happy.........But the ones who are grateful and nice outnumber in my heart the numerous who are nasty and hateful....................and that my fellow nurses is why we continue to do what we do.
I have worked numerous shelters during hurricanes in South Louisiana and I haven't seen any of this either...however...during Katrina, I did have a few "unruly" people spit on me but I think it was more of a "mental condition"
thing considering what they went through or they may have already been without medication they needed for some time. But other than that, everyone was quite appreciative for us being there to help them and never "demanded" anything.
Specializes in ICU, ER, MED, SURG, TELE, HOME HEALTH.
As a Katrina volunteer, I found that the local law enforcement in SE LA kept us all safe and sound. We did have attempts from some to have refills of narcotics (we just said NO) We did have many that saved seemingly trivial items and not "important" things- but who are we to decide how these people were to think during a catastrophic event. Remember all...post traumatic stress?
cpkRN
274 Posts
I had a long rant on this poster several pages back. I think it was because we're viewed as the "nanny state" because of all the bad publicity; however, what those who really don't know what they're talking about don't know is that there are several more "nanny states" out there. While most might be in the South, that doesn't meant it's just Louisiana.
As everyone here knows, EVERY LAST STATE in our country has more than their fair share of system abusers.
Then there are those people who think the low-lying areas (below sea level) should just be filled with water and wiped off the map. That the Louisiana Purchase was the biggest mistake the government ever made, etc.
That's just my interpretation of that "interesting" post :wink2:.