TheCommuter, BSN, RN 226 Articles; 27,608 Posts Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych. Has 17 years experience. Feb 2, 2015 I live in north central Texas, a part of the state that occasionally receives snow. In the past, management at my workplace has offered bonuses to staff who sleep over when inclement weather is expected. I don't stay over because I wouldn't want to be stuck at my workplace on my days off due to road conditions. I'd rather sleep in my own bed, bathe in my own shower, and eat something other than institutional hospital food several days in a row.
Editorial Team / Admin Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN 6 Articles; 11,437 Posts Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development. Has 18 years experience. Feb 2, 2015 We've never been mandated to sleep over, but we are expected to show up on time for our scheduled shifts. If that means the only way to make that happen is to sleep over, then that's what some staff members choose. I remember one year that about half of the call offs in the entire hospital (about 600 beds) were from my department- and being the OR, we're a closed unit so no float staff. That was a lot of fun- NOT!
Missingyou, CNA 718 Posts Specializes in Long term care. Has 20 years experience. Feb 3, 2015 In our nursing home, (I work 2nd shift)we are mandated to work a double if too many others have called off. I don't think the DON had a temper tantrum when staff called out, but it was counted against anyone who called off. In the morning, management came in and let those of us who worked a double go home and mandated any 3rd shift that was needed....which was basically none since all of management came in and those who were nurses (our unit coordinators are nurses), infection control nurse...etc, worked the units as CNA's. We were not "invited" to sleep there in prep for our shifts. We were told ahead of time that we were expected to come in regardless of weather conditions and that we should prepare accordingly so that our resident's can receive quality care and so that our fellow co-workers were not stressed further and mandated to work additional shifts.It is my understanding that a facility (in my state) can NOT mandate anyone to work more than a double shift without giving 8 hours off.The hospital where I once worked at provided all patient care workers with a phone number (which was someone from the security dept. with 4wheel drive truck!) to call if we needed a ride to work. If we choose to still call out, it was counted against us just as any other call out.
FurBabyMom, MSN, RN 1 Article; 814 Posts Has 8 years experience. Feb 3, 2015 I work in a very specialized area (OR). I was expected to stay at work when the last winter storm that caused accumulation here hit us (last year). I was at work for over 2 days. I was paid for every hour I spent in house plus all applicable shift differentials and overtime (as were all of my coworkers in our department). Nurses and techs, monitor clerks, unit clerks, etc who worked regular units (ED, ICUs, stepdown, med-surg, etc) were only paid for hours worked.
KelRN215, BSN, RN 1 Article; 7,349 Posts Specializes in Pedi. Has 16 years experience. Feb 3, 2015 I live in New England as well and the expectation is, simply, that you find a way to make it into work when it snows. If the only way you can do that is by going in the night before and sleeping there, so be it. Personally, I never slept at the hospital when I worked inpatient but I also never lived more than 6 miles from the hospital. There were times when I either walked in or walked home because it was faster than waiting for public transportation in the snow. I once walked home at 11P (after being forced to stay after a day shift) and didn't see a single train in the entire 3 mile walk. If you live in New England and work in an essential role, you should expect that you will be required to report to work during snow storms.
icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN 1,970 Posts Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU. Has 24 years experience. Feb 3, 2015 I work in a very specialized area (OR). I was expected to stay at work when the last winter storm that caused accumulation here hit us (last year). I was at work for over 2 days. I was paid for every hour I spent in house plus all applicable shift differentials and overtime (as were all of my coworkers in our department). Nurses and techs, monitor clerks, unit clerks, etc who worked regular units (ED, ICUs, stepdown, med-surg, etc) were only paid for hours worked.Thanks for sharing. This is why employees need to ask via email"am I going to be paid for being mandated to stay here?"If the answer is no, I'm clocking out and finding a nice hotel. I can take care of myself very well thank you very much. Why should the OR crew be paid continuous overtime and differentials and not the rest of the staff? That is illegal and most hospital workers who are mandated to stay for the duration don't even know it.I used to be the good, dutiful, obedient worker. That ended in 1995 when I was told dress warm we're sending a troop transport which I had to ride in the back of, in a blizzard for 30 miles and then I was stranded in a hospital for 3 days with NO FOOD AT ALL, a closed cafeteria empty vending machines and no way to get home. The worst part was that even though they put me in harm's way they really did not need me at all due to the low census.I did not see anyone from management and only one physician, anywhere in those three days. They left us to figure it out for ourselves during the time the "disaster plan" was in effect.
lab211 84 Posts Feb 3, 2015 Health care facilities depend on their workers to relieve staff in good or bad weather. I try to stay ahead of the storm and plan ahead. I pack food, clothing, etc. just in case I am needed beyond my shift. Also, I feel safer than having to commute back and forth to work during extended bad weather. From my work experience, administration tries to meet their employees half way. Such as having security pick up staff at bus and train stations, offering private empty patients rooms for sleeping, meal vouchers. etc. Staffing during inclement weather should be the employer and employee joint effort. On another note, if you feel you are putting your safety at risk such as icy road conditions and sub zero temps communicate this to the shift supervisor, etc. Then, maybe they can offer you to make up your shift,etc. at a latter date.
Mandychelle79, ASN, RN 771 Posts Specializes in Psych. Has 2 years experience. Feb 3, 2015 I have a full set of scrubs, contacts, glasses, brush, sweat pants and t shirt for sleeping in at a coworkers house. If I cant make it home in my 4x4, I stay at her house. Heck I stayed there last night and didnt have to work today, just didnt feel safe to drive the 43 miles home.
FurBabyMom, MSN, RN 1 Article; 814 Posts Has 8 years experience. Feb 3, 2015 Thanks for sharing. This is why employees need to ask via email"am I going to be paid for being mandated to stay here?"If the answer is no, I'm clocking out and finding a nice hotel. I can take care of myself very well thank you very much. Why should the OR crew be paid continuous overtime and differentials and not the rest of the staff? That is illegal and most hospital workers don't even know it.I can see your point...to a point. Before I worked in the OR? Totally would have agreed with you. I don't think the intent was to pay us continuously and not others. We were not told 'If you stay you get paid and none of the other nurses do'. I was mandated to stay because I was on call the night the storm started. Initially administration said they wouldn't pay us for non-working hours. Then they gave in a little and said we'd get call pay for non-direct patient care hours. Our overnight shift refused to come in, which is part of what caused us to get paid continuously. Good luck running a Level 1 trauma center without any OR coverage. It's true, I get paid to do quite literally nothing on call (sit a home, go to the grocery store, all kinds of things - whatever I want to do so long as I can meet my response time requirement). Not because I'm needed, because I might be needed. I can work my 10 hour day, go home for two hours, get called back for several hours, go home to sleep and be expected back at 0700. I could work 10 hours, be on call 12-14 hours, and not get called in. It could be my weekend and get called in multiple times during the weekend. Or I could not get called in. Nurses and others in other areas? During this storm, they had defined schedules with work and sleep time. They were given at MINIMUM of 8 hours off between "shifts". The OR? We did not have that luxury. You work over by several hours from your scheduled shift, get dinner, wind down/shower, sleep for a few hours, go to work for 3 hours, sleep for a few more hours (if you can) and then repeat it. In addition to intra-op patient care we were expected to help in pre-op and PACU as appropriate, and we also worked in Central Sterile Processing - because instruments don't clean and re-assemble themselves (not like we need sterile instruments to take care of patients). It's not the same, and cannot be treated as such.It goes both ways, and is not always "fair". People who called out, regardless of where they worked, were not given occurrences because enough people complained to administration (hospital and state, we're state) over how "unfair" it was that they expected people to come to work. Despite the fact that our institution has an entire policy that focuses on expectations of hospital staff members during adverse weather. The state ultimately made that decision to forgive all state employee absences related to weather on those days. So the people who didn't show up are why I was stuck at work for days, but received zero consequences. I don't consider being paid a lot "fair" to their no consequences. I'd rather have been able to go home and hang out with the dog than stay at work. Because other people didn't hold up their end of the bargain? I was stuck at work.
brandy1017, ASN, RN 2,741 Posts Specializes in Critical Care. Feb 3, 2015 They have asked for volunteers to sleep over and be available for day shift and they had plenty of takers. They even paid for the time sleeping! Turned out not everyone was needed and then some were sent home in the morning. That was some easy money!
Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN 5,047 Posts Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro. Has 16 years experience. Feb 3, 2015 I've never been asked to do this, but... No pay, no stay.
icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN 1,970 Posts Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU. Has 24 years experience. Feb 3, 2015 The other departments in a weather emergency are most certainly not working defined 8 hour shifts, they have to make it work even if it means working 24 hours straight which I have done when there was no relief. The staff everywhere is worked to exhaustion. Even maintenance is pushed to their limits. There is no defined work and sleep time in my 20 plus years of ICU nursing. Just the announcement that the "snow emergency plan is in effect" and all staff must report to "the command center" before leaving the building. The command center is usually deserted once they have secured a skeleton crew to work for the next two days. According to federal labor and industry law if we are forced to stay on the premises, we must be paid.Frankly I am appalled that anyone thinks it's okay to hold employees in a facility, under threat of disciplinary action, and not pay them.
