What happens if you are injured on your way to clinical due to weather?

[invitemeplz]

My nursing school says that weather is not a valid reason to miss clinicals. Well, if it's snowing heavily and there's a big storm, and I get into an accident because they're forcing me to come in, are they legally responsible? I'm talking about damage to my car and any medical bills. I go to a public school in NY state. I'm a student, paying good money to be there, and I expect my school to keep me safe. This is unnecessarily putting me in harm's way. I'm not a paid nurse, going to my shift, whose terms I accepted and receive compensation for. I see no reason to put myself in danger. If they tell me I'll fail or won't finish my necessary hours, and I brave the storm and I get hurt, are they liable? Can I sue?

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

You should look up Act of God defenses. Seems right up your alley.

Anytime we have ever had a hurricane, we are still expected to come to work. You know it is coming, so you leave early and then camp out at work to avoid the bad stuff. I'm sure my other Northern friends on here will back me up on this. When you are a nurse, this is what will be expected of you so get used to it.

Agreed that this will be expected of the OP once working; however, "camping out" at the hospital/facility isn't always an option while a student. Due to course requirements/schedules, transportation, possibly other jobs, this can't always happen. And at some hospitals, there are discounted rooms at hotels, or rooms set aside for workers within the hospital. Students do not receive these "benefits."

If classes at the university are canceled, so should clinical.

But the reality of winning any sort of suit against the school in the event of an accident? Not going to happen. In America, you can bring a suit against anyone for any reason; however, you can't win for any reason.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

Like other posters have said, you can sue anyone for any reason (unfortunately) but you won't win this particular case. Hopefully this entitlement you seem to have goes away before you become a nurse.

[TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN]

You're only a student. If it's THAT bad that you're taking a risk by driving a few possible things almost always already happened:

1. The school decided to cancel or have a delayed opening, which usually means clinicals are cancelled.

2. A state of emergency was declared, which will cause the school to close because students and teachers are not essential people on the road. Even some healthcare workers in some states have restricted travel.

3. You're in an area where certain places within the school's common student radius regularly become unsafe to drive in during snow (especially in mountains), schools in these areas tend to close on any accumulation at all

Schools aren't going to take the risk of requiring you to drive in truly unsafe conditions. But there's a big difference between being on a salted highway with a light dusting of snow, and being on a single-lane mountain road that any sliding at all can quickly turn into a 500 foot drop down the side of a mountain.

If it's just because of really heavy rain and things like that, leave very early. Worst case it ends up not being bad, you get there really early, and just go to Denny's and get breakfast. Get into the habit of keeping track of the weather. As long as it's legal for you to be on the road, no what kind of job you have, they expect you to be there. It'll be exactly the same being a nurse. Get used to it now. It's easy in a car, I used to have to do it in an 18-wheeler.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

If the weather is that bad

1) School will be canceled

2) Stay closer to the clinical site

3) Don't go

[verene, MSN]

My school had a similar inclement weather policy, that weather was not an exception for being able to make it in. That being said, when the weather *did* get bad the school canceled classes/clinicals in order to keep us home safe and not trying to make it in.

I wouldn't worry too much about this until closer to winter. Also - if you live a distance from the school and it seems like you may have to come in, try to find a friend who lives closer, or a budget motel to stay at. That way you've planned a head and have a place to stay if it really isn't safe to travel.

[/username, BSN, RN]

The ghost of Florence Nightingale comes to you in the dead of night to shame you for not being more martyr-y

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

Our school cancelled clinical for flooding issues. It was appearantly the worst flooding we had seen in over 200 years.

Our hospital went on lockdown as a hurricane was approaching. No visitors. No students-I'm sure that the school was cancelled regardless of wether or not we would allow them to come in

[Larocquh]

I'm a student, paying good money to be there, and I expect my school to keep me safe. This is unnecessarily putting me in harm's way. I'm not a paid nurse, going to my shift, whose terms I accepted and receive compensation for.

Have you started your program yet? Or is this info you received at orientation? This statement right here ^^^^ is a red flag. You need to humble yourself a bit, as you will quickly find your attitude and sense of entitlement won't be received well in the nursing profession. Every program should have a student handbook or contract of some kind that you are required to sign and agree to when you accept your spot in the program. Weather isn't a valid excuse to miss clinical, but you have exaggerated that policy to the extreme with your "what ifs" and snow storm/injury/sue the school scenario. If its too dangerous for school to be in session on campus, your clinical will be cancelled.

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

When I worked medical manufacturing for a non-profit hospital in Knoxville Tn, there were occasionally snow storms and my manager would send us a text, "Uh, if you get stuck out there, you better start walking. You got work to do. We got ORs that need medical packs and I'll be damned if they don't get any." And I would hear her thick southern Tennessee accent voice in my head.

I would literally read it out loud in her accent.

"Every time I get off work I always see people standing at the corner holding up a sign saying 'will work for food' I bet they would love to come do your job" said in her thick Tennessean accent.

"Every other facility that isn't nursing related is closed because of the snow storm. EXCEPT STERILE SOLUTIONS!" said in her thick Tennessean accent.

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

Have you started your program yet? Or is this info you received at orientation? This statement right here ^^^^ is a red flag. You need to humble yourself a bit, as you will quickly find your attitude and sense of entitlement won't be received well in the nursing profession. Every program should have a student handbook or contract of some kind that you are required to sign and agree to when you accept your spot in the program. Weather isn't a valid excuse to miss clinical, but you have exaggerated that policy to the extreme with your "what ifs" and snow storm/injury/sue the school scenario. If its too dangerous for school to be in session on campus, your clinical will be cancelled.

I agree, that school will tell you "We don't owe you ****. And don't even say to us 'I'm a student, paying good money to be there, and I expect my school work to be easy and appease to my time I'm spending'" cause if they won't, I would.

[Ddestiny, BSN, RN]

I work in Kansas. We get tornadoes. What do we do for tornado warnings at work? We trot out the ambulatory patients into the hallway, and leave the non-ambulatory ones in their beds and move them away from the window. We don't go to a basement like the weather guy is telling everyone when it comes time to take shelter. We as staff hang out in the hallway with the ambulatory patients and wait (including on 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 20th floor) to get sucked out of the hallway if we actually get directly hit by said tornado.

It's no one else's job but your own to keep yourself safe.

The only situation I can think of where it's been expressed that staff's safety is a priority over patient safety is in the case of an active shooter, where they do tell you to leave patients behind. Otherwise you're expected to be at work, rain or shine, snow, whatever. Accept that as a provider of help to sick people, especially in a direct-care setting, you're going to be put at risk just like paramedics, firefighters, hospital security, police, etc. Not as often, but it does happen.

[kcochrane]

In my area, if the schools were closed for the children, we were closed. Your best bet is to save any absences you are allowed for that time of year. That way if they don't cancel and you don't feel its safe, you can call in. Like others have stated, you could have an accident on a nice day. The school is not liable for you and your driving no matter what type of day it is.