Is leaving before hurricane abandonment?

Updated:   Published

Hello all, so I am located at the very end of south Florida near the keys! My question is simply this, I'm supposed to work weekend during this hurricane which some are saying could be deadly. I have a small child and his safety is my priority. I want to evacuate but my job is saying that they could report me for abandonment. I really don't understand how because if I leave from my house, how have I abandoned their residents?? I am an LPN btw

Specializes in Perioperative / RN Circulator.
Kyrshamarks said:
Show me a list of those states. The government CANNOT compell a person no matter what thier job is as a civilian to put their life or property in danger.

I know that several states remove restrictions on mandatory overtime for health care employees during a state of emergency. Forcing someone to work at gunpoint would be compulsion. I'm not sure that threatening to revoke their privilege to practice is LEGALLY considered compulsion.

I'm not saying laws exist - or don't - requiring healthcare workers to report to work during a state of emergency, and I agree that it would be unconstitutional to fine or imprison a nurse who refused to work; but I'm not sure that the state couldn't suspend or revoke their license.

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NurseNat83 said:
I'd just like to go on record saying that ElkPark seems like a dick.

OK, you're on the record. Nice first post on the site, NurseNat83.

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elkpark said:
Why is it (and who said it is) the responsibility of the employer to identify employees who agree to come to work and how much time they would like in order to make arrangements to do so? Why is it not the responsibility of employees to show up and do the job they agreed to do when they accepted their jobs? It's not like it's a secret that a hurricane is approaching. Why is it not the employee's job to make arrangements to show up for work when scheduled?

So nurses, techs, lab, radiology all get together and plan out the best emergency strategy?

You obviously have no one in your life that relies on you. There are a ton a reasons why someone would not be able to come in. Breastfeeding? Dependent relative? Multiple children at home that no one can watch? This hurricane is hitting my area on Saturday. I NEVER work Fri/Sat. I NEVER work friday say. Now all of a sudden I have to make arrangements for my kids, pets?

I'm sorry (not sorry), but this is just an incredibly ignorant way of thinking .

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Im debating on leaving as well. Legally, nothing will happen to my license, but I would most likely loose my job. But Im fine with that. I posted earlier about my employers total willingness to put their nurses in danger.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
remotefuse said:
This hurricane is hitting my area on Saturday. I NEVER work Fri/Sat. I NEVER work friday say. Now all of a sudden I have to make arrangements for my kids, pets?

I'm sure you realize that the hurricane calls for a change in plans for most people.

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

Yeah, I reported it too, but didn't want to quote the poster. There is just something about that word that I find incredibly vulgar.

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This is a form of negligence in nursing with the unilateral termination of the provider-patient relationship, despite the patient's continued need for care. Patient abandonment occurs after a nurse has accepted responsibility for an assignment within the scheduled work shift.Oct 5, 2012

you have to actually be at work and leave accepted a pastor to assignment and leave caring for them

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This is a form of negligence in nursing with the unilateral termination of the provider-patient relationship, despite the patient's continued need for care. Patient abandonment occurs after a nurse has accepted responsibility for an assignment within the scheduled work shift.Oct 5, 2012

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med/surgnursegirl said:
Patient abandonment occurs after a nurse has accepted responsibility for an assignment within the scheduled work shift.Oct 5, 2012

you have to actually be at work and leave accepted a pastor to assignment and leave caring for them

Hello,

What if they try to give me the assignment towards the end of my workshift, after already working 2 days in a roll, also not even being scheduled for the weekend?

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Check with your facility. Ours has a policy that if one parent is "law enforcement" and the other is hospital personnel, you can be considered exempt because there isn't anyone to care for your children.

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Use your own judgement and be prepared for the consequences. This is a tough one because technically you should be evacuating. Hmm....

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

The negative feedback you've received for not already having in place doesn't really matter now. The fact is you don't have a solid plan in place. At this point being a parent comes way before being an employee. Get your child to safety and if you get fired for that so be it, you can replace your job but you can't replace your kid.

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