Bad Weather--Hospitals could care less about your safety

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Well, I want to say first that I fully understand that hospitals expect you to be at work no matter what the weather.

I always go. I go for other people. That's why I have a four wheel drive. However, sometimes there is bad timing. Such as major snow that falls heavily and rapidly.

I got up, took a shower, got in the car to go to work. I swept it off the night before, got gas the night before, washed my uniform and had it pressed in case the power went out.

I warmed up the car, went off my driveway...moved about 15 feet and it slid into the yard.

The vehicle would not move.

So for the first time in years...I don't call in sick but maybe once a year. Never for weather.

I have PTO right? Lots of it because I never call in.

Get this...hospital is not allowing me to use my PTO for that day.

Freaking ridiculous. So if anyone else makes an attempt and wrecks. Call the news right after the tow truck. The general public should know that hospitals don't care about the safety of their employees. So this crappie about the fact they do? They can stick it as far as I'm concerned.

I guess I am fortunate as my employer lets us use PTO during hurricanes we even had what are called "ride out and recovery teams". Those employees that are ride out get time and a half plus we get a bonus for working. They even provide child and pet care for those employees that have to work and have no one to watch after them.

That's awesome, we had some nurses who wanted to be picked upp but NYC officials wouldn't let the hospital SUVs out on the road to get the staff.

Specializes in ICU/PCU.

Here is what I will say about this posting and nothing else. Far too many nurses whine, moan, and complain about their work situation. We all need to realize that we are a "highly valuable" commodity and begin to act like it. If your facility doesn't fit your needs, go somewhere else. if you are an excellent nurse with good skills and abilities you can go almost anywhere and work. If you don't like the atmosphere in your facility leave and find one that has an atmosphere you do like. Don't threaten to leave...just leave and find work elsewhere. I am a travel nurse and can unequivocally tell you that there are hospital based nursing jobs everywhere in every state in the union. If we voted with our feet, more and more places would be far less likely to try to push us around. Many in managerial positions would be extremely hard pressed to fill our shoes if push comes to shove and know it whether they would admit it or not. We all have reasons why we can't, won't or shouldn't move or look for that elusive "other job" but the fact is we would do more for nursing and nurse by doing so then allowing facilities to play games with our heads about how "altruistic" their values are and how much patients mean to them. We let them push us into corners by believing their lies about "we care about you and our patients" when in fact CEO's CNO's, CFO's and the like make triple what we do and only care about HCAP scores because they translate into how much reimbursement the facility receives. Stop pretending we are different than them, we all work for money and while we do care about patients and helping others if the pay was not there neither would we be. If you want to help you patients in the long run stop letting yourselves be run over by management. Stand up and say NO, I will take my skills and abilities and go somewhere else. If the small little hometown hospitals knew we would not tolerate it, and we would stop taking their guff and come in anyway it would be immensely better for us all. Staffing ratios would be better, patient outcomes would be better, and nurse satisfaction would be better as well. I would far rather work for a place that was honest with me and others about why we are there... i.e. making money then all the namby pamby we are caring for others. To the original poster I do think it's incredibly unfair for you to have a check that is short when you clearly tried to make it in,but do something more then whine and look for commiseration on a message board for nurses. Go find a new job and tell them why you are leaving, let the cost of having to train a new nurse eat into their facility bottom line and maybe help change things for nurses who will follow after you there. Trust me I have worked staff positions as well as travel assignments and know the power of leaving when you let them know. It won't get your PTO at that moment but it can help stem the tide of poor nurse treatment. I'll leave you all with one thought which I was told a long long time ago...Patients die despite our very best efforts and patients live despite our very worst efforts. We can and do make a difference but life and death isn't anymore in our hands then it is the arrogant, self centered surgeons or "name your Physician here" who believes it does. Stop all the bull about sharing and caring and holding hands to sing "Kumbaya" You are a professional nurse and lets stand up and insist we be treated as such rather than being ran over and treated like children who can't be trusted to know when to come in out of the rain. Physicians garner far more respect and proper treatment because they unequivocally refuse to be treated that way and so should we.

I am sure several will jump on this and tell me I am a terrible nurse and person and do not belong in the profession but I do belong and will continue to also, but I will not coddle or pamper professionals who can't or won't stand up and be what we should be in today's healthcare world. So don't bother attacking me because I know the truth and you will only be wasting your time and fingers typing back. And I most certainly do not care to respond and engage in your tirades. For its senseless drivel like what I am most sure will spring forth from my comments that have allowed nursing to continue to be the only healthcare profession that remains bundled in the cost of the room in payment to the facility, OT, SLP, PT etc they bill for their services and can directly prove their value to a $ driven world called healthcare. We remain where we are because we have buried our head in the sand of "oh we are nurses and we care about the patient" So much so that we fail to document and give credit to what it is that we do. We have made our beds in which we lie, but I am just saying.."it doesn't have to be that way." Yet alas it does not come without a cost. I ask who is willing to join me to pay now so that the profession is improved and in the long run patients are truly cared for as they should be and can?

I realize this thread is about Bad Weather - Hospitals couldn't care less... (edited for correctness) but honestly isn't it really about nurses being treated as professionals? Never gonna happen until we pull up our big boy/girl pants and play with the adults as adults rather than whiney children... (just my 2 cents!)

If I received a write-up for not being able to make it to work because of weather there would be hell to pay. I spent 5 days at the hospital in Seattle when we had our every 5 year disabling snow storm. The reason I stayed was because I was unable to get home. Seattle is very hilly, steep hills, and even with a four wheel vehicle with chains I could not make it up our hill. In addition, there was a police ofc. barring people from trying. If you belong to a union I would file a grievance if you rec. a write-up.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
That's awesome, we had some nurses who wanted to be picked upp but NYC officials wouldn't let the hospital SUVs out on the road to get the staff.

If you don't feel safe driving yourself to work, are you going to feel safe riding with some random yahoo who is sent from the hospital to pick you up?

I got stuck at the end of my driveway once. High centered the car on a giant snow berm. I called to have it towed off the snow berm. Then I went to work.

If I'm genuinely sick that's one thing, but I certainly wouldn't "expect" PTO for missing work due to snow.

I think hospital employers almost have to go all Gestapo during weather events, because of the few who would take advantage of having a "snow day." To some people, three inches of snow on the ground is a valid reason to stay home.

Get real. Lots of people call in sick when they are not ill at all. Ever heard of a "mental health day"? I would not put my life at risk but I know how dirty management is and that they really don't care a rat's ass about their staff. If you died getting to work, their main concern would be getting someone to replace you. They probably wouldn't even know your name. They would say "number one is dead. Get number two in." The face that they refused to allow a nurse to get their cardiac meds to the point where the nurse had a heart attack says it all. So call in sick and don't feel guilty about it.

Not sure about everyone else but I had to be certified in first aid and cpr where we are all taught that if there is any danger to our person we are to avoid the situation until the danger is no longer present or someone more qualified arrives. While I understand being a nurse is a great responsibility that is not to be taken lightly and that we must try our level best to fulfill our shift. However, it is sometimes it is not possible. That being said I try to procure employment in the city where I live so that if I feel unsafe driving I can at least call a cab if needed. When we get heavy snow they plow the main road which can cause me to be unable to get off of my street!

Personally I feel that it was unfair to deny your pro.

The secret to driving in snow is to:

1) Accelerate and decelerate gradually.

2) Put on brakes gingerly.

3) Ease into turns and accelerate only when turn is completed.

5) Studded tires or chains for front wheel drive, CHAINS for rear wheel drive!

6) LEAVE PLENTY OF TIME!

winter tires.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Get real. Lots of people call in sick when they are not ill at all. Ever heard of a "mental health day"? I would not put my life at risk but I know how dirty management is and that they really don't care a rat's ass about their staff. If you died getting to work, their main concern would be getting someone to replace you. They probably wouldn't even know your name. They would say "number one is dead. Get number two in." The face that they refused to allow a nurse to get their cardiac meds to the point where the nurse had a heart attack says it all. So call in sick and don't feel guilty about it.

WOW! I think you're unduly cynical.

While it's true that mental health days are common in nursing, I don't really believe that management is dirty or that they don't care about their staff. I've been fortunate enough to work for hospitals where management DOES know my name, stops to chat with me in the elevator or lobby and sent me flowers, cards and food when I was hospitalized. "Management" is composed of people just like you and me. They just have a different perspective on what is needed for the hospital to run. They don't "get" it when it comes to nursing. I dare say that the majority of nurses don't "get it" when it comes to management, either.

For what it's worth--companies CAN and WILL make the determination as to when you can use your PTO. This is *not* hospital specific, and happens in *every* sector. PTO is not "yours to use how you wish," and if it was you wouldn't have to have vacations approved and there wouldn't be holiday black out dates.

I've been a nurse for probably longer than you've been alive, unless you were born before 1970. I worked the three day weekend of the "blizzard". I was at work for three days during Hurricane Sandy. I came to work prepared to stay for the duration, but was lucky enough to be able to get home (very late) and sleep in my bed for a few hours each night before returning to work, thanks to public transportation. My big complaint was that the hospital didn't shovel and salt the entrances, so it was a very treacherous return to work in worst the storm, but at least I got to go home.

When you become a nurse, this is what you sign on for. You make contingency plans. You find a way to get to work, even if you're two hours late because you had to dig yourself out. It sounds as if you made pretty good plans in advance. Not getting paid PTO isn't a big deal., in the big scheme of things. Annoying, but not a tragedy. It is part of how hospitals avoid some of the call outs from people who don't even make the effort. It's a shame that you did at least make the effort, but did you continue to try after the initial slide into the yard. You might have been fine if you had gotten on the road, and lots of police, fire and tow folks are happy to help a nurse get to work. Three of our nurses drove across the bridge to NYC together in a travel ban with a cop following them to relieve people stuck at work. Just some thoughts. One day's pay is not going to kill you. You won't even feel it as much as you think you will because of lower taxes. Take a breath and go back to work and continue to be the best you can be.

Yeah hon, I was born before 1970, way before 1970 so I have been a nurse longer than YOU have been alive. You are absolutely hilarious thinking you are old because you were born in 1970.

Also--maybe I'm a bit annoyed seeing someone complain about sick time when I saw how badly the staff who did come in were overworked. Our staffing office tried to pull me to the STICU mid shift, out of our pull order (I had been pulled the day before and there were other people who were next) to care for a patient I was incapable of caring for. Thank GOD I work in a state where it's illegal to work a double shift--we are limited to 16 hours with a mandatory 8 hours off after. I can't imagine taking care of patients for 24 hours. I don't know how people can do it safely. Especially with the hospital (at least mine) clearing out as many patients as they could--essentially leaving the sickest and most difficult patients in the hospital. Everyone had horrific assignments because the lack of staff and the hospital's attempts to keep people home if it wasn't 100% necessary for them to be there. And all the nurses had to go above our policy stated patient maximum-because there just was NOT enough nurses.

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