Forced to stay and work under mandatory evacuation?

keasc20 · Jul 31, 2012

My husband and I are both nurses. Last year, I would have had to take my son to work with me if I had to stay and we would have had multiple kids there. We would take turns watching the kiddos. These are the things that we have to deal with when you live in a hurricane zone. Our director spent over $500 on food for everyone so that there would be enough food for the staff and families if they were there! Don't get mad if you get fired for not doing your part for the team. There should be some way to have childcare at the hospital if you are going to be stuck there!

umcRN, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2012

well I don't know what you can do about it. Three years ago there was a massive snow storm in my city and the city was virtually unprepared for it. Everyone from janitor to MD was forced to stay. We stayed for 5 days and 4 nights. We slept 5-6 of us to an empty patient room on cots! (or air mattresses for those of us who were prepared). We were given food vouchers equivalent to $7 to use in the cafeteria for 3 meals a day though many of us prepared by bringing food & frozen meals. We were paid regular pay for the hours worked though we got paid time and a half for all overtime and this included hours slept.

For someone like me who was 23 with no children or other responsibilities it was a great deal I thought. Yes it got annoying and tiring after the first 48 hours but I came away making a decent amount of money. For the people with kids and other responsibilities I can see where the difficulties laid but like I said, no one, no matter the reason, was let out. They do have written in the policies of the hospital that employees should always have at least 3 days worth of medication with them at work at all times as well.

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Jul 31, 2012

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. I don't see being a nurse as "I put my life on the line for you" type of job. I am not a police officer, fire fighter...etc
And when a mandatory evac. is issued 911 services are stopped. No one will answer you are told "You're on your own" if you stay.

This is what we object to when we object to people getting into nursing for the money only. You can move to an area that doesn't have hurricanes if you want.

Orca, ADN, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2012

I'm not sure what else you expect the hospital to do. The fact that they are paring down to only three units operating tells me they are discharging everyone who reasonably can be released. Beyond a certain point, the weather prevents staff from arriving or leaving. It's unfortunate, but people wind up staying behind for weather reasons all the time - whether it's a hurricane, major winter storm or some other natural disaster.

You mentioned evacuation. In the case of a hurricane, that might require a trip of several hundred miles - hardly a practical proposition.

My sister is on the "stay" team at a major hospital in the hurricane belt. It isn't an ideal situation, but it has to be done.

phoenixrn · Jul 31, 2012

I live in earthquake country.... 30 min away from the city where my hospital is at and in a safer earthquake zone than the city. If the "big one" hit and I knew my family was safe, I would do whatever I could to make my way to the city to help out, for as long as necessary. One of the reasons I got into this profession was to feel like I could be of service to my community.

Not to judge the OP for not feeling the same way, we don't all have to be the same... but perhaps it would be helpful to reduce your indignation at being required to do what many of us would gladly do.

redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN · Jul 31, 2012

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.

i think you need to relocate to a better climate

JMBnurse · Jul 31, 2012

Wow. Not to say that this is something the OP would do at all, but this reminds me of the story of that Nursing Home in New Orleans where the staff apparently deserted the elderly residents during Katrina and they all drowned. How sad. I'm sorry, but I am a nurse, through and through and I don't think I could ever desert helpless people. I just couldn't live with myself. I said at the time I heard that story on the news that I would have been grabbing some old folks and we would have latched onto mattresses and tried to float out of there and if we made it, we made it and if not, well I would be going to a better place. I don't want to make myself out to be some sort of a hero, but I just don't think I would have ever been at peace with myself if I had just walked out and left helpless people alone to die like that. Spend the night in a hospital during a hurricane and take care of scared, helpless patients? Definitely. If you are compassionate and take care of others in their time of need, someone will take care of you. This is one of the reasons that I feel a deep respect from other professionals, such as cops and firefighters, because they consider us to be like them. Professionals who have dedicated their careers and lives to help others. I would hope that if I ever found myself a patient in a hospital on the Gulf during a storm that there would be dedicated nurses there with me, protecting me at a time when I am at my most vulnerable.

SlaveHeart · Jul 31, 2012

I am not a nurse yet. I have only completed my CNA training and am looking for my first job so perhaps I am naiave. However I believe that a nurse should be altrustic in all of his or her actions. By choosing to be a nurse one is choosing to place caring for another individual above all else while working as a nurse. If I were in that type of situation at first I would become overwhelmed with fear regarding what is happening to my loved ones; then it would dawn on me that I am caring for the loved ones of others who are filled with fear about whom if anyone is looking after them.

Plus when TSHTF I'd prefer to be in a well stocked medical facility than out there without any resources;)

redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN · Jul 31, 2012

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.

I create Mediaography regularly at home...I just don't memorialize it

JZ_RN · Jul 31, 2012

While I am a nurse and am there to help others, I would probably stay for some time, but I would not sacrifice my life for others. Sorry. if that makes me a bad nurse, I guess I'll be a bad nurse. I would stay until the point where my safety was in question, then I would leave.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2012

I know exactly what you mean. I live on the Gulf coast, also, and have had to stay in hospital for as long as 2 weeks at a time. We are never allowed to sleep in the patient rooms, but rather, we have to sleep on an army cot in the hallway. They don't feed us, the cafeteria is closed during hurricanes, and we are told to bring our own food. We are not allowed to bring in our children or spouses. That would be understandable, however, the DOCTORS and ADMINISTRATORS are allowed to bring their spouses and children, and they are given a patient room to camp out in. I will never forget the last one I went thru~ I was so tired after being up for 3 days straight, working the ICU, and finally got to lay down. I had found an empty room on an empty wing, but just as soon as my eyes closed, here come a doctor telling me to get up because his wife was going to use that room. Sleeping on an ancient army cot in a busy hallway means no shower, too.

squatmunkie_RN · Jul 31, 2012

I'm done with this forum. I'm not going to sit here and read all the "oh just move to a different climate, you just got into nursing for the money, quit your job comments"

Where I work it's not "we'll all pull together as a team" you're family can stay, daycare for kids in the hospital utopia. I don't know why people ask anything on this site in the 1st place. Everyone here acts like "I'm miss supernurse who can do no wrong...so compassionate willing to pitch in and do anything for my pt's and co-workers. My question....where are all you people in MY hospital? Ha. What a joke.