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 was an EMT during some major storms...we didn't get to say no, we wouldn't go to a call. Couldn't drive right to a driveway or front door? We drove as far as we could, got fire involved, and walked. 911 callers were warned that it would take a bit longer, but we still showed up.
A storm once meant that it would have taken me hours to get home, and I had to work that night - and my odds to make it home without getting in an accident was most likely very, very low. Did my hospital make any allowances for me and the other nurses in my position? No. I had to buy earplugs, buy my own food, and hunt down a place to sleep. Floors aren't comfortable, and the earplugs didn't work, but I, and a bunch of other nurses, sucked it up.
It's frustrating when administration says no PTO allowed. It's frustrating when people who live further out don't see the plows until well after the snow is over. But people have no way to tell if a person is calling out because they truly, physically, cannot make it in or because they just don't want to and see the weather as a good excuse. It looks like they decided that they'd punish the whole because of a few.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Oh. The doctors were provided with sleeping quarters and hotel vouchers...paid for by the hospital.
The EMTs have sleeping quarters at their center here and no....they were not going out on every call either. If a road cannot be driven on they don't go.
Same for fire or police. So don't assume that all of these services are available instantly regardless of the weather. Apparently you missed class the day they reviewed health care management during national disasters.
I don't assume anything. I know if I get caught in a ditch in a snowstorm, I am on my own for what will be hours. The cops and EMTs will be real busy with more dire cases than me sitting in a ditch. That's why I have blankets, food, water and a full tank of gas in such conditions. I also know I didn't miss anything so I would please ask you quit the assumptions yourself .
You know---- the more I read your posts, the more I see it looking like an online tantrum. You are so put out over this thing.
But unwilling to really act on it.
It's unjust, but you won't seek justice and set a precedent that is fair in the future for others ( in what seems to be your opinion). I find that interesting in someone who does so much for her company (but will now stop in the name of not getting paid for one missed shift)........If it's so unjust, fix it.
And back to your original thought which SHOULD read:
The hospitals could NOT care less.
You may be right. They are in business to care for PATIENTS primarily. Staff, yes they should absolutely care about. It obviously varies wildly. Some did a good job of caring for staff, feeding them, giving them a place to sleep, shower etc. I believe like one PP said, if we are that critical, then we are important enough to feed, house and care for in performing our duties for the patients during emergency/disaster situations.
Others stunk at it. There is clearly much room for improvement in many places.
You still made out ok. You were at home, comfy, with your own bed, shower and food. You just didn't get paid for that comfort. You think it's unfair. Some of us think it is more than fair.
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Imagine lying in the bed as a patient.Imagine your 90 year old mother lives in a nursing home.Someone better show up.As someone else said plenty of people work through weather events and if they don't show up or if the business does not open they don't always get paid.We do think we are special snowflakes,don't we?
You're right. I wouldn't have had to do half the preparations you did because when we have a possible snow event, I sleep in the floor of the hospital on an Air mattress with my coworkers so that we are there to cover our shifts. Thanks though.
And again, you said yourself that administration decided to not allow you to use your PTO, not management. I'm sorry that you don't like that people disagree with you. That's the beauty of the internet, you can voice your opinion, and I'll voice mine. If you thought everyone here was going to agree with you, you are wrong.
Oh...that's great that you were allowed to sleep at the hospital.
I guess you missed the part where they disallowed that where I work.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I WISH I had had a week to know that there would be mudslides and flooding that would essentially cut me off from work for days. I didn't. I figured it out at 4am on a scary drive to work in a blinding rainstorm. .
I would have made arrangements to stay with a friend in town and made it to work. I missed 3 days. No pay. Sucked to be me. And them. They had to replace me.
Oh...that's great that you were allowed to sleep at the hospital.
I guess you missed the part where they disallowed that where I work.
I get that your angry but let it go. You can't change things now. You didn't go to work, you don't get PTO, but you had a day at home where you were safe in warm in your house. I'm sure there were others at your hospital that are in the same situation you are in. Suck it up and move on.
You posted your story on a widely read internet message forum. Surely you realized that a certain percentage of readers would not agree that you have been treated unfairly. I could post "today is Wednesday," and a certain number of members would respond to the contrary.
Why are you so worked up and belligerent over the fact that a few people dare to disagree with your take? Do you always get upset if anyone disagrees with you?
If the hospital has acted contrary to their own policies, take it up the chain. Eventually you'll get your due.
ETA: I was posting at the same time as you and see you have no plans to protest the issue officially.
No, just one that acted like she knew more about this area than I do and attempted to say I did nothing to prepare.
As if I sat at home and ate bon bons and hoped for sunshine.
Go back and read from the beginning. I went up and beyond. Nurses here DO NOT get paid enough to stay at hotels throughout the winter. The cost of a hotel here is about 80% of what you would make for the entire shift. You can't just walk out a few days in advance and abandon your family on snow that may or may not fall.
Around here it doesn't fall more than it does.
Notice the people offering solutions...oh...I was there because they let us stay, air mattress on the floor, etc. You can do that...if the hospital allows it.
I was accused of leaving my unit short staffed. Notice nobody asked of it was. It wasn't.
Notice the people offering solutions...oh...I was there because they let us stay, air mattress on the floor, etc. You can do that...if the hospital allows it.
I was accused of leaving my unit short staffed. Notice nobody asked of it was. It wasn't.
Assumptions. Assumptions.
Yes. I'm assuming. You didn't mention until later on that your hospital wouldn't let you stay. And when people are expected to be at work and aren't there (for whatever reason) it leaves units short staffed. You said there were extra people so why did you have to go in at all?
Nonyvole, BSN, RN
420 Posts
I was an EMT during some major storms...we didn't get to say no, we wouldn't go to a call. Couldn't drive right to a driveway or front door? We drove as far as we could, got fire involved, and walked. 911 callers were warned that it would take a bit longer, but we still showed up.
A storm once meant that it would have taken me hours to get home, and I had to work that night - and my odds to make it home without getting in an accident was most likely very, very low. Did my hospital make any allowances for me and the other nurses in my position? No. I had to buy earplugs, buy my own food, and hunt down a place to sleep. Floors aren't comfortable, and the earplugs didn't work, but I, and a bunch of other nurses, sucked it up.
It's frustrating when administration says no PTO allowed. It's frustrating when people who live further out don't see the plows until well after the snow is over. But people have no way to tell if a person is calling out because they truly, physically, cannot make it in or because they just don't want to and see the weather as a good excuse. It looks like they decided that they'd punish the whole because of a few.