Hurricane Irma and guilty conscience......help me!!

[HospiceRN4God]

Hi everyone, I am dealing with a moral and ethical delimma which I am sure most of you are familiar with. I am in the direct path of Irma just like many other of our nursing brothers and sisters. Well, I am training for a new position and just started training. I was told to report to work as scheduled which was for Thursday and Friday. Well, Wednesday night I made the critical decision to evacuate my ill mother up north in the middle of the night. I notified my supervisor over 12 hours before my shift was to start. I had a very heavy heart doing that but I don't even have my own patient load yet. All I would be doing would have been following another nurse all day in my own car running all of my gas just to shadow. I am really worried that they will let me go and I just started this job! I was given no options for shelter for myself, my mother or her pets. In fact, we were told that they would not be providing shelter for employees unless they are working during the storm and. I shelter for family or pets period. As a trainee I wasn't even put on the assignment sheet for before or during. When I asked my supervisor she said "don't worry you are on orientation" and so I felt like it should have been a big deal. Now I am getting messages that "policies" have to be followed since I called out. I am so confused, so heart broken, and completely sick over the whole thing. I love my job and we all sacrifice daily for our patients. But this was something I just HAD to do. Anyone else in the same boat?

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

You did what you had to. All good.

[guest52816]

Please don't feel guilty over this. Your safety and the safety of your family must come first. You are still on orientation and don't have your own patient load. I think you will be fine. And if not, you'll find another job.

Keep safe!

[NPOaftermidnight, MSN, RN, NP]

If it doesn't work out, you will have opportunities for more jobs in the future. You only have one mother. You did the right thing. I would have made the same decision in a second and I hope that my daughter would as well. Good luck and stay safe!