Hurricane Matthew Relief Compensation

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Hello fellow Nurses, I am a nurse here in Southeast Georgia. As I'm sure most of you know, this area was hit pretty hard by Hurricane Matthew. As a result, emergency response teams were activated. "A" team is responsible for remaining at the hospital during the storm while "B" team is allowed to evacuate and relieve "A" team as soon as medical personnel can re-enter the area.

Long story short, I am on "A" team and we have now been at the hospital for more than 36 hours. We have had to clock in and out for our 12 hour shifts and management is claiming we will only be compensated "call pay" ($2/hr) for the time we are forced to sleep here at the hospital.

I am just wondering...is this standard pay/practice for when hospitals have to activate emergency response teams?

To me, it just seems like $2 is insulting considering we are away from our families, the sleeping arrangements are less than ideal, the cafeteria food keeps you in the bathroom every 2 hours and the hospital's census is the highest it's been in months. Not only that, we also have the added emotional stress of not being able to check on our homes to assess damage caused by Matthew.

We are very lucky that we even have food and that the generators are still keeping the lights on, but $2/hr is just ridiculous.

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Specializes in BSN, RN, CCRN - ICU & ER.
Hello fellow Nurses, I am a nurse here in Southeast Georgia. As I'm sure most of you know, this area was hit pretty hard by Hurricane Matthew. As a result, emergency response teams were activated. "A" team is responsible for remaining at the hospital during the storm while "B" team is allowed to evacuate and relieve "A" team as soon as medical personnel can re-enter the area.

Long story short, I am on "A" team and we have now been at the hospital for more than 36 hours. We have had to clock in and out for our 12 hour shifts and management is claiming we will only be compensated "call pay" ($2/hr) for the time we are forced to sleep here at the hospital.

I am just wondering...is this standard pay/practice for when hospitals have to activate emergency response teams?

To me, it just seems like $2 is insulting considering we are away from our families, the sleeping arrangements are less than ideal, the cafeteria food keeps you in the bathroom every 2 hours and the hospital's census is the highest it's been in months. Not only that, we also have the added emotional stress of not being able to check on our homes to assess damage caused by Matthew.

We are very lucky that we even have food and that the generators are still keeping the lights on, but $2/hr is just ridiculous.

At my hospital, nurses are split into 2 teams as well. The initial "A" team arrives at the hospital prior to the hurricane and is expected to stay at the hospital until the storm passes and members from the second "B" team can safely make it into the hospital and relieve them.

Team A is paid double time for each 12 hour shift worked and regular pay for the 12 hours they are "off duty" but still required to be at the hospital. Team B gets no special incentive/pay, but are not required to spend the night or stay at the hospital.

Your hospital sounds like they are being very cheap and inconsiderate about compensation regarding activation of its personnel. I hope you and your family made it safely through the storm.

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As a full time employee i am required to particpate, chossong which team you are on is voluntary.

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At my hospital, nurses are split into 2 teams as well. The initial "A" team arrives at the hospital prior to the hurricane and is expected to stay at the hospital until the storm passes and members from the second "B" team can safely make it into the hospital and relieve them.

Team A is paid double time for each 12 hour shift worked and regular pay for the 12 hours they are "off duty" but still required to be at the hospital. Team B gets no special incentive/pay, but are not required to spend the night or stay at the hospital.

Your hospital sounds like they are being very cheap and inconsiderate about compensation regarding activation of its personnel. I hope you and your family made it safely through the storm.

I agree, I feel like my hospital is being very cheap. I am very blessed that my family made it out safely and there is no damage to my apartment, but there are many of my fellow coworkers that were not so lucky. This is all the more reason I feel we should be compensated appropriately so we can start putting the pieces back together.

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Specializes in BSN, RN, CCRN - ICU & ER.

I'm glad you and your family are safe. I'm sorry to hear about the property damage some of your coworkers suffered.

I agree that hospitals need to understand that when we as nurses are called upon in a crisis, we often must put the needs of our organization and our patients ahead of our own family's needs and securing our own property. A coworker of mine worked the three days prior to being activated on team A during Hurricane Matthew and essentially had no opportunity to board up her home prior to the storm hitting. I was lucky enough to be on team B and had the chance to stay safe with my family.

Perhaps you and your coworkers can address this with administration? It won't change the present situation, but perhaps could improve the situation for those in the future.

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