Forced to stay and work under mandatory evacuation?

[squatmunkie_RN]

I live near the gulf where evacuating for hurricanes is a possibility around this time. The hospital where I work places nurses on teams. One team is forced to say, the other forced to come back 24 hrs after the hurricane is gone, and the other can come back when regular citizens come back.

My question can they legally do this? I was placed on the team that's forced to stay in the hospital with pts. They'll keep ICU, ER and MY floor open only.

There will be no extra pay, no bonus, just regular pay and time and 1/2 when you're in over time. Expected to sleep in the hospital, in semi-pvt room WITH ANOTHER CO-WORKER!

If the evacuation is mandatory how can they legally tell me to stay and WORK? Can I be fired for leaving?

[Asystole RN]

to emmyers, who says ..."

i haven't worked as a nurse during a natural disaster"

it is very apparent you haven't. i would be willing to stay and help evacuate pts. but after that...? no. the hospital should close it's doors until the evacuation is lifted. you have no idea what it's like. none. you haven't done it so why the long drawn out nasty comment? last evacuation the hospital promised alot to it's employees that stayed but didn't follow through on any of it. (notice how i said last time). being a nurse doesn't mean i'll throw myself on the sword for you. when i'm clocked in i do all i can for my pts. when my 12 hours are over. they are over.

this isn't a "weekend" sleeping in the hospital as someone compared it to. it's more like 2 weeks, until the city begins to function as normal.

"but remember, you're never forced, you just may need to find work somewhere else." emmyers

since when is nursing a profession where it is "like it or leave"? you have no idea what you're talking about. it's easy to be on your high horse online. but how about you go through a cat 3 hurricane and get back to me.

nursing is a 24 hour, 365 day a year profession. you are never not a nurse while you hold a license, and i do not mean this in some theoretical, metaphysical way either. unprofessional conduct or illegal activity will land you in front of the board.

in arizona, where i am, a husband and wife who were nurses lost their licenses because they were creating Mediaography at home. it was deemed unprofessional so they lost their license. nearly all naps have "professionalism" as a requirement for holding a license.

nursing is not a job, it is a profession.

[Asystole RN]

Whoo hoo...finally figured out how to quote. I'm not a public servant. The city (tax payers) do not pay my salary.

Did you not petition the state for a license to practice nursing and serve the public? The government may not directly pay you but you do serve at their pleasure. You serve the public whether you like, or know it.

[Orange RN]

Eg. See hurricane Katrina.

[squatmunkie_RN]

Nursing is a 24 hour, 365 day a year profession. You are never not a nurse while you hold a license, and I do not mean this in some theoretical, metaphysical way either. Unprofessional conduct or illegal activity will land you in front of the Board.

In Arizona, where I am, a husband and wife who were nurses lost their licenses because they were creating Mediaography at home. It was deemed unprofessional so they lost their license. Nearly all NAPs have "professionalism" as a requirement for holding a license.

Nursing is not a job, it is a profession.

Question. When did I say this wasn't a profession? And how did this jump from hurricane evacs to Media and doing drugs? I'm starting to remember why I don't post here often...

[squatmunkie_RN]

Did you not petition the state for a license to practice nursing and serve the public? The government may not directly pay you but you do serve at their pleasure. You serve the public whether you like, or know it.

I guess in the same way that a Walmart clerk also "serves the public" Some jobs in nursing will make you a public servant, where I am now it's not one of them.

[Asystole RN]

Question. When did I say this wasn't a profession? And how did this jump from hurricane evacs to Media and doing drugs? I'm starting to remember why I don't post here often...

You are right, I have sidetracked your thread. I was simply addressing some of your statements.

[Asystole RN]

I guess in the same way that a Walmart clerk also "serves the public" Some jobs in nursing will make you a public servant, where I am now it's not one of them.

Walmart clerks do not petition their state's for licenses, nor do are they regulated by their state. Walmart is also not considered an essential service like health care is.

[emmyers, RN]

Yes, I do know what it's like, don't judge me according to your own personal conflictions. Don't patronize me. I deleted my side comment questioning your moral development, but I really find it relevant. As human beings, we have a moral obligation to help protect each other for the common good of all. As a nurse, this is magnified. You are not just a nurse at the hospital, if something happens in public, if someone's life is threatened, you help them. You can't just leave it at work. I seriously think you would benefit from reflecting on Kohlberg's work. You may not be tax payer payed, but unless you are hired by a wealthy individual to provide care solely to them, you serve the public. Healthcare is privatized in the US, but that doesn't mean that you are not serving the public.

And all jobs are deal with it or leave it. You obviously know what is required of you in advance, if you are unwilling to accept the requirements, then you need to either negotiate what is required of you or find another job.

Hospitals in natural disaster areas work alongside both state and national disaster responses organizations. Yes, they can require you to stay. No you are not obligated to, but they can replace you with someone who will. And as Asystole RN pointed out, abandoning your duty if you accept working for this hospital could also land you in front of the Board. I believe that sufficiently answers your original question.

[itsmejuli]

I wasn't a nurse when I went through hurricanes Hugo and Andrew, both Cat 5. I wasn't a nurse when I volunteered 2 weeks of my time with the American Red Cross assisting hurricane Katrina evacuees.

I am a nurse now, I"d stand in line to volunteer for any natural disaster.

I spent many years living in Florida. The safest place to be during a mandatory evacuation for a hurricane is ...at a hospital or shelter. THere's nowhere to run in FL, too many people, too much traffic and not enough shelters.

[FLDoula]

It would be hard to have my children at home alone if I was forced to stay at work at the hospital. I am a single parent and there is no family around. They could stay with friends, but if there was a major disaster, I would really rather be with my children than at work.

No bashing here.... You are rightfully stressed about this because the welfare and safety of your children is most important... as is the welfare and safety of your patients you care for. There are solutions. :)

I also live on the Gulf Coast. Presently a nursing student. The hospital orientations I've done all have provisions in place for the children and families of those that are on the ride out teams. (which you are) Those family members come to the hospitals and are housed in areas away from patients but accessible to you. Not sure what they provide for the family members. I believe all needed to bring regular medications, sleeping begs, clothing, etc... Your hospital can fill you in on the specifics of their disaster plan.

I used to teach disaster preparedness and write and implement disaster plans in the San Francisco Bay area in the 90's and early 2000's in schools. My suggestion to you are to start getting prepared in advance with things like flashlights, batteries, everything your children and you would need to camp out at the hospital. (go to Lowe's or Home Depot and pick up at brochure for hurricane prep) Pack them each their own "to go" bag. And one for you also! Preparation is the best defense for your peace of mind. These hospitals know that in order for you to be at your best they must help provide for your children and other family members. Your children obviously cannot evacuate on their own. Bunkered in a hospital would actually be a safe place in a hurricane.

Animals are a different story. If you have animals I beg you NOT to leave them home unattended. It would be a terrifying and maybe deadly ordeal for them. Animals would not be allowed at the hospitals but do check (in advance) of where animals could be housed. Or if friends will keep them or take them if they evacuate. We found that hotels in the Orlando area took our animals free during our evacuations.

We evacuated for both Ivan and Dennis (which we were ground zero for) and took substantial damage from both and evacuated both times.

The best way to avleviate this burden off your back and make you feel better is to get prepared... now... not when it's happening. BTW.... we have a nice wave that just came off the African coast they are watching. Good luck to you!

[FlyingScot, RN]

You can't "abandon" a patient that you never signed up for caring for in the 1st place. The hospital should close it's doors, or pay me some extra money.QUOTE]

I read your post as you being on the "stay" team which implied that you were already there and being told to stay so hence the idea of abandonment. Also, what pray tell, are you going to do with the patients too sick to leave the hospital? A hospital can't just "close its doors". If you don't want to comply with hospital policy that's up to you but they will fire you and you will have no recourse. If this doesn't seem fair then maybe you should look for a facility whose policies are more to your liking.

[Asystole RN]

It would be hard to have my children at home alone if I was forced to stay at work at the hospital. I am a single parent and there is no family around. They could stay with friends, but if there was a major disaster, I would really rather be with my children than at work.

One of the directors of nursing I had worked for managed a unit at a hospital during Katrina. When they were figuring out who was going to evacuate and who was going to stay the family situations were taken into account.

She said mostly people volunteered to stay, their families were brought into the hospital and day cares were quickly established. The spouses would help with the hospital maintenance, manning the pumps, passing out food, watching the dependents, boarding up windows and the like.

It was really a pretty interesting story of how the hospital pulled together.