Evacuation of New Orleans hospital...(link to article inside)

Published

Heroic efforts made at Charity hospital to save patients

07:14 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Associated Press

As floodwaters rose around Charity Hospital, nurses hand-pumped ventilators for patients who couldn't breathe. Helicopters landed on the garage to airlift critically ill babies. Doctors canoed supplies to and from Charity and three nearby hospitals.

see whole article here...

http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWL083005charity.d037f7f.html

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

According to this link though - LA is not a compact state.

http://www.ncsbn.org/nlc/rnlpvncompact_mutual_recognition_state.asp

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I filled out the form. I have NICU experience and telemetry as an LVN.(I'm and RN now) I wonder how much use they would have for that though. I mean I'm not completely clueless when it comes to medsurg stuff just kind of slower than experienced nurses.

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According to this link though - LA is not a compact state.

http://www.ncsbn.org/nlc/rnlpvncompact_mutual_recognition_state.asp

I wonder if they would make exceptions for volunteers in this sort of situation. And I wonder how I could get away from work for a few days. I have 3 and 4 days off at a time but not a whole week or more. I could get people to work for me I guess. I wonder if they would let you voluteer for a few days at a time or if a week is the minimum. I've never really helped in a situation like this but I really want to. I have family and lots of friends that are from Gulfport-Biloxi MS so it is kind of personal to me. I could travel to LA or MS if needed. My main concern is getting the time off from work.

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I wonder if they would make exceptions for volunteers in this sort of situation. And I wonder how I could get away from work for a few days. I have 3 and 4 days off at a time but not a whole week or more. I could get people to work for me I guess. I wonder if they would let you voluteer for a few days at a time or if a week is the minimum. I've never really helped in a situation like this but I really want to. I have family and lots of friends that are from Gulfport-Biloxi MS so it is kind of personal to me. I could travel to LA or MS if needed. My main concern is getting the time off from work.

http://www.bne.state.tx.us/h-katrina.htm

72 Hour Rule Exemption

A licensed nurse from another state who is in Texas on a non-routine basis for a period not to exceed 72 hours to provide care to a patient being transported into, out of, or through Texas does not have to apply for a Texas license nor notify the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners.

Temporary Privilege to Practice

For Nurses from Louisiana and other non-compact states needing to enter Texas to transport patients and/or work temporarily due to Hurricane Katrina for more than 72 hours must do the following:

Show a clear and current state license to the employer or healthcare facility.

Complete a paper copy temporary license/endorsement application and fax to: (512) 305-7401 to the attention of Mark Majek. Write "Hurricane Katrina" on top of the application. There will be no fee nor the requirement to provide a verification of licensure from your state(s) of licensure.

The nurse will be issued a letter of temporary practice for 120 days. The Texas Board will conduct a post application verification from your state(s) of licensure.

To verify temporary privilege to practice in Texas due to Hurricane Katrina, you or the employer/healthcare facility can send me a personal message.

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I have a texas license...but what about going accross state lines to LA (not a compact state) but MS is a compact state so. I'm gonna try to get in touch with the Red Cross tommorow and see about voluteering. They might even need some nurses in Texas to help with the influx of evacuees

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Specializes in ER!.

I just got home from 12 hours in a Memphis ER and patients from New Orleans are flooding in. I never in my life thought I could be so moved by a patient coming to the ER for med refills. These people have lost everything. They grabbed what they had the time and presence of mind for, and left everything else. They can't refill their meds any other way because there's nowhere for them to go. Even worse, and I just cringe as I write this, but you'll all know soon enough anyway cause it's all over the news, but some of those lucky enough to get up here with some money and find a hotel were robbed of everything they brought with them. People are actually seeking out Louisiana license plates and breaking into those cars because they know they're full of stuff! Stealing Lipitor from hurricane refugees! :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire Multiple HHH enemas, without KY, for the lot of them, at the very least.

We've seen pregnant patients, dialysis patients, cancer patients, all with no place familiar to go, and dependent on the news they glimpse on the ER TVs to know what's become of their homes, pets, and friends. This is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen. If I had any time at all off work, I'd be down there in a flash. But we are so swamped, just full the the gills and beyond, that they need all of us there. So if any of one of this awesome group of nurses can go, GO! They need you!

Pray for these people. They are absolutely devastated.

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Given the severity of the storm the decision was made that most of the patients were safer where they were - and in most cases that would probably be true. However, the flooding that occurred AFTER the storm due to levees breaking unexpectedly is what caused the problems they are now experiencing, not the storm itself.

Evacuation is not a risk free process by any means - especially when you are talking ventilated and critical care patients. At the time the storm was expected, the risks inherent in moving them were higher than the risks involved in leaving them where they were. Yes it was a gamble - every bettin' man knows you don't win every hand. 2500 patients are being avacuated tonite by putting them in choppers which are taking them to boats which are taking them to ambulances...it will be a long process, some patients will be lost - just as they would have been if they had been moved in the first place.

They expected the storm, and had resources to cope - what they didn't expect was the broken levees and resultant flooding.

Well, I don't think anyone has resources to cope with a category 5 hurricaine sitting in a city like New Orleans. These decisions they made will have long lasting consequences. Flat out, they should have evacuated and left only a volunteer skeleton crew to man incoming injuries.

Of course the flooding was to be expected !!!!! Since when do backup generators work when flooded???

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Well, I don't think anyone has resources to cope with a category 5 hurricaine sitting in a city like New Orleans. These decisions they made will have long lasting consequences. Flat out, they should have evacuated and left only a volunteer skeleton crew to man incoming injuries.

Of course the flooding was to be expected !!!!! Since when do backup generators work when flooded???

Have some compassion--it's no longer about what "they should have done". It's about what can we do to help them now--some of those people were too poor to have a way to get out of there ahead of time-if anybody should have done anything to help get those people out ahead of time--it should be our federal government! Oh, wait--our president was on vacation at his ranch--guess he couldn't have been bothered.

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I just got home from 12 hours in a Memphis ER and patients from New Orleans are flooding in. I never in my life thought I could be so moved by a patient coming to the ER for med refills. These people have lost everything. They grabbed what they had the time and presence of mind for, and left everything else. They can't refill their meds any other way because there's nowhere for them to go. Even worse, and I just cringe as I write this, but you'll all know soon enough anyway cause it's all over the news, but some of those lucky enough to get up here with some money and find a hotel were robbed of everything they brought with them. People are actually seeking out Louisiana license plates and breaking into those cars because they know they're full of stuff! Stealing Lipitor from hurricane refugees! :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire Multiple HHH enemas, without KY, for the lot of them, at the very least.

We've seen pregnant patients, dialysis patients, cancer patients, all with no place familiar to go, and dependent on the news they glimpse on the ER TVs to know what's become of their homes, pets, and friends. This is the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen. If I had any time at all off work, I'd be down there in a flash. But we are so swamped, just full the the gills and beyond, that they need all of us there. So if any of one of this awesome group of nurses can go, GO! They need you!

Pray for these people. They are absolutely devastated.

Sounds like you are in a place of great need right now. Just keep doing what your are doing and God bless you.
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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

My heart aches upon watching the news of the aftermath and articles like this. Especially when you wish you could help and feel powerless. :o

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Sounds like you are in a place of great need right now. Just keep doing what your are doing and God bless you.

Just got finished getting approved for friday off to take the emergency class at the red cross for disaster relief. I work in the ER in Riverside, California. I can't sit by and watch what is going on down south without doing something. Hopefully i will be on a plane next week to serve a week down south. I don't know what I will be doing but anything I can do for anyone that has been devestated by this horrible disaster hopefully will help. Wish me luck and pray for the people of the south.

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For all of you RNs and LVNs on the way down to the Gulf Coast the help out, we salute you. Please be safe.

For those of us who cannot go there is still much we can do to help. The RED CROSS will spend billions of dollars assisting in this area. This along with recent world events may push them to the financial limit. Give as much as you can afford.

http://www.redcross.org/

The SALVATION ARMY will also feed and spend millions on relief efforts in NEW ORLEANS, MOBILE and the entre GULF COAST.

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

As it is possible (according to the LA. Governor) that they may have to totally evacuate the sity of NEW ORLEANS of all civilians until they can get control of the leeves, displaced people will be pouring into communities all over the country. Agencies in YOUR community will need help.

Please do what you can.

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