Bad weather and getting to the hospital

Nurses General Nursing

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I have a clinical today in L&D, my last one before break between semesters. I set my alarm extra early, b/c a big storm was coming. Well, it came. I cannot get out of 1) my driveway, 2) my subdivision, 3) my first main road.

It's the snow drifts. Not so much snow, but the wind is wicked. I talked with my clinical instructor - she said not to worry, it can be made up. But I thought about when I am actually working on a unit and bad weather hits - the kind where you really can't get in for awhile - how do you handle that? I feel like it's my responsibility to be there, regardless of weather conditions. I am very uneasy about missing a clinical assignment.

Specializes in ER.

Here in Dallas/Fort Worth, we get ice. Solid sheets of ice that cover all the roads (and everything else). My Northern friends harrass me when we shut down, but ice vs snow is a different game.

One year, we had a terrible ice storm that coated everything. I was working on the ambulance the next day, but it was clear that even if they got the major highways sanded, it was still a nightmare (particularly in neighborhoods). I called in, and they tried to come get me in a 4X4 the night before my shift. They called back a few minutes later to tell me that the 4X4 had wiped out, and to just stay home. Our ambulances made it to about half the calls they got during that time...many other calls were responded to on foot or the callers cancelled (you really called EMS in the middle of an ice storm for back pain X 2 weeks? :no:)

I'll drive through all kinds of weather...I've done it my whole career. Hailstorms that destroyed windshields, tornados, snowstorms (or what passes as such here in Texas! LOL!)...but I won't risk life and limb.

(But I will put on my skates and go play a rare game of Texas outdoor hockey with the Kiddo in the church parking lot next door! :D)

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Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

I would drive snow storms, but black ice.. oh no, that is a different thing all together.

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Last year, at my old job, when we faced record snowfall - the hospital had security come out in 4x4s to drive us in to work. Even then, we were short staffed... but we managed. :)

The funniest story was my (teenage) cousin who was shocked that I had to go to work despite the fact that the entire town (including his parents) was shutdown .... I had to explain to the kid that no matter who or how many close around town, hospitals can't afford to close :chuckle

Currently, I live about a mile away from the hospital. I'm reasonably certain that no matter how bad the weather gets, I ought to be able to get meself to work .... and back :)

I mean, after all.... I'm a native of Buffalo, New York. Seriously, nothing weatherwise scares me any more ;)

cheers,

I live about 1.5 miles from work, have a 4-Runner--there's a good reason for those SUVs--and have lived much of my life in snow country.

Since my boss knows how close I live, she told me on hire that snow just isn't an excuse for me. :chuckle

Now, getting out to home visits, which is what I do, can be a different story. Fortunately, I work night shift, when most of the lousy drivers who mess things up are already at home, in the ditch, or have been towed to the body shop. :devil:

Bottom line is, even though I was never a Boy Scout, that motto of "Be Prepared" is the word to live by when it comes to bad weather.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

We had a blizzard 2 Christmases ago that shut everything down. I had to dig out the van from a foot of snow, because my dd was too scared to drive herself to work. 6 hours later I dug it out again to go get her, then dug out again in 4 hours for me to go to work. Had to borrow a snow shovel from security to get my car out of the lot because they had plowed behind my parked car. The next morning after a 12 hour shift plus 2 hours waiting for day shift to all get there; when I got home my driveway had been plowed in. Tried to ram through it, got stuck, so we all spent the next hour and half to dig the snow from under the car so I could get it out of the street. Then we had a snowball fight. :D

Since I only live 3 miles away, I pulled some extra shifts that week, but at least I was done digging!

The hospital has a "Code White", where they won't release the current shift if they think they can't get enough staff in for the next one. Ticks everyone off, but you can't leave if there isn't anyone to give report to.

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Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

And oh yeah- if you gotta go, make sure you DON'T gotta go. Seriously. As in PEE first, before you get stuck in the car for an unspecified amount of time with no place to pull over.(just a l'il tip!):chuckle

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Specializes in Trauma/Burn ICU, Neuro ICU.

An update: at 11:30 am, I saw the UPS truck lumber down the street. I figured if that big ol' thing could get around, so could I. I went in. Took me 3X the usual, but I felt better being there for the rest of the shift.

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Specializes in LTC, Home Health.

I am going to be the "unpopular" person here and say that when I say the roads are bad and they offer to send out a 4x4 I tell them to not waste the time. If I don't feel safe enough to drive myself, I most certainly do not trust my life and safety to someone else. Maybe I have control issues but I put my life in my own hands.

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
i am going to be the "unpopular" person here and say that when i say the roads are bad and they offer to send out a 4x4 i tell them to not waste the time. if i don't feel safe enough to drive myself, i most certainly do not trust my life and safety to someone else. maybe i have control issues but i put my life in my own hands.

i'm a control freak also.

however, when i entered this career i knew that as "essential personnel," i was going to have to find my way to work.

and i know i would hate to be that person whose relief didn't show up or who had to take more patients because someone didn't come in to work during or after a storm.

i don't mean to jump on you, but i want to know...what happens when you tell them this?

*~jess~*

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Specializes in LTC, Home Health.

I have only called off 1 time in the last 2 years and it was due to weather. I gave my employer notice and when I came into work the next night I thanked the nurse who stayed for me. She told me that she was glad because she got overtime and she was not wanting to go home anyway and face the weather and roads.

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hospitals are open 24/7/365. if you know ahead of time that the weather is going to be awful, you need to make arrangements to get there anyway: stay closer to the hospital the night before your shift, set your alarm and leave extra early, whatever it takes. i've gone to work on a snowmobile and i've skiied to work. whatever it takes.

you have skiied to work, really/ cross country? is your house at the top of the hill and the hopital at the bottom? lol i live in northern michigan in the snowbelt. we have a ton of snow on the ground. i live 7 miles from the hospital, in the last month i have called triple aaa to get me unstuck, one time they got stuck theirselves and could not help me, another time they were so busy they told me to wait about 5 hours. we have lake effect snow here which is unpredictable. but i can honestly say, i would never ski over 7 miles to work. i would however ride my snowmobile, but not everyone has one. just my two cents.

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I live in the mountains. A few years ago we got a blizzard on Valentine's Day. Three feet. I left 2 1/2 hours before my shift, 2 go 30 miles. Got there on time with an overnight bag and I thought my DON was going to kiss me. Worked a double and stayed overnight, made my next shift the next morning.

The next time significant snow was predicted I got there the night before and stayed at a cheap but clean motel.

My old ones needed me.

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