Mandatory Hurricane Evacuation - Can I be Forced to Work?

Nurses Career Support

Published

Is it legal to make nursing staff stay at a hospital that was ordered by the Governor to evacuate for hurricane Florence . This hospital just was recently rated for only a category 2 hurricane and this hurricane is a Cat 4. This hospital is prone to flood, low lying area at the coast. They divided the nursing staff into 2 teams (A & B) and are requiring all of team A come in prior to hurricane and staying at this hospital even though the patients have been evacuated, they have a few patient that are supposedly not able to move. They have a sister hospital, also under mandatory evacuation , this hospital is rated up to a Cat 3 hurricane. They have transferred some of the patients from the hospital that is rated to withstand a Cat 2 to there sister hospital ( under mandatory evacuation )... waiver was denied to stay per Governor. I have no problem staying and working if I am provided a safe place

Great question. This is such a difficult situation. Fortunately hurricanes are predictable. Hospitals are open 24/7 making it difficult to deal with these situations. Hospitals are faced with the decision to take the extreme action of closing and transferring their patients which is costly and potentially risky to the patient or to stay open and "weather the storm". Each hospital should have a disaster preparedness plan usually approved by their accrediting body. It is recommended that there be an A team and a B team both of equal competence. Team A for during the storm and team B for the aftermath. Your hospital's policies and procedures and your employee handbook should provide you with what is expected and if you are required to stay. This will supercede any advisements to evacuate the area. I am glad you are willing to stay and help your patients. You can also look to the hospital's policies and procedures on how they will keep the staff safe too. Preparation in these emergencies is the key. Hopefully it won't be that bad.

Specializes in SRNA, ICU and Emergency Mursing.

Built to withstand a cat 4 hurricane is like saying fire rated for 30 minutes. Those ratings are only given for certain amounts of time in that condition.

This hurricane is moving so slowly that the effects are much more devastating than a theory tested hurricane. I would call out sick if I were you. My life is worth way more than a job. Then I'd sue if they tried to fire me. For sure.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Medical, Rehab, Psych.

You've got to be kidding! Don't let ANYONE guilt trip you into putting your life at risk for ANY reason. I do disagree with this "patients first" bs. There wouldn't BE any care if it wasn't for you and if your facility doesn't care to put you first, YOU do it and find another job! Believe me there plenty and certainly will be, fired or not.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I strongly suggest that those who live in hurricane prone areas read:

Five Days At Memorial: Life & Death In A Storm-Ravaged Hospital

Read about what happened in NO during hurricane Katrina, to the nurses, patients and doctors.

Think very carefully before you decide to stay.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"waiver was denied to stay per Governor."

I took this to mean that the hospital was directly ordered by the governor to evacuate regardless of wishing to stay open. I would think that that would supercede any policies previously in place; and given storm ratings, wouldn't paramedics just bring patients to those hospitals actually rated high enough and therefore able to stay open?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I strongly suggest that those who live in hurricane prone areas read:

Five Days At Memorial: Life & Death In A Storm-Ravaged Hospital

Read about what happened in NO during hurricane Katrina, to the nurses, patients and doctors.

Think very carefully before you decide to stay.

Not sure that's the best example. A doctor and two nurses murdering patients.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Not sure that's the best example. A doctor and two nurses murdering patients.

The point is, the hospital had withstood many previous hurricanes.

The hospital, and it's owner, had no real plan to evacuate patients or staff.

Due to improper planning, staff and patients were left in a precarious position.

It is a perfect example.

Did you read the book? The staff was left to function in horrible conditions.

Again, think carefully before agreeing to stay.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I don't see how a policy or employee handbook can supercede mandatory evacuation orders from the Governor.

How can a civilian employer force its staff to risk, literally, life and limb when this extremely dangerous Hurricane Florence has been known about for quite some time, sufficient time to evacuate all patients?

At-will employment. Your job can get rid of you because of your natural eye color if they want to, and that's 100% legal. That's why most health care facilities work very hard to resist their workers being able to unionize, to the point of threatening termination for any signs of joining a union.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Is it legal to make nursing staff stay at a hospital that was ordered by the Governor to evacuate for hurricane Florence . This hospital just was recently rated for only a category 2 hurricane and this hurricane is a Cat 4. This hospital is prone to flood, low lying area at the coast. They divided the nursing staff into 2 teams (A & B) and are requiring all of team A come in prior to hurricane and staying at this hospital even though the patients have been evacuated, they have a few patient that are supposedly not able to move. They have a sister hospital, also under mandatory evacuation , this hospital is rated up to a Cat 3 hurricane. They have transferred some of the patients from the hospital that is rated to withstand a Cat 2 to there sister hospital ( under mandatory evacuation )... waiver was denied to stay per Governor. I have no problem staying and working if I am provided a safe place

Great question. This is such a difficult situation. Fortunately hurricanes are predictable. Hospitals are open 24/7 making it difficult to deal with these situations. Hospitals are faced with the decision to take the extreme action of closing and transferring their patients which is costly and potentially risky to the patient or to stay open and "weather the storm". Each hospital should have a disaster preparedness plan usually approved by their accrediting body. It is recommended that there be an A team and a B team both of equal competence. Team A for during the storm and team B for the aftermath. Your hospital's policies and procedures and your employee handbook should provide you with what is expected and if you are required to stay. This will supercede any advisements to evacuate the area. I am glad you are willing to stay and help your patients. You can also look to the hospital's policies and procedures on how they will keep the staff safe too. Preparation in these emergencies is the key. Hopefully it won't be that bad.

This is a disturbingly confusing and inaccurate response. To begin with, nobody can make you work during a hurricane or at any time. Can you be disciplined or fired for not working? Yes, because as other posters have stated, in an employment at will state you can be fired for anything as long as you aren't part of a protected class who is being discriminated against. The fact that there was an executive order issued mandating evacuation doesn't mean you can't be fired for evacuating and not working as scheduled.

Which brings me to my second point, which is that there was an evacuation order from the governor in place ahead of Florence, not an advisement. Very disappointing allnurses' expert doesn't seem to distinguish between the two. Facility policy doesn't supercede an evacuation order any more than a policy that you show up on time supercedes speed limits, it just outlines the facility's expectations. Up to the individual how to respond to those expectations, knowing there are potential consequences for all choices.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU.

It's a catch 22. I live in FL which is hurricane central and during Irma (I still hadn't begun working at my hospital) my husband mentioned a coworker evacuated with his family and didn't show up (team A or "during"). He was fired. If we don't show up then who will? When hurricanes arrive the barometer pressure drops which ALSO means LABORING MOMS!! Yay!! (Sarcasm) so we have a huge influx of pregnant women AND their families on top of employees with THEIR families. If nurses/docs leave then what happens to the rest? In regards to the Governor I'm not entirely sure how your employer would still pay no regards to that warning.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
In regards to the Governor I'm not entirely sure how your employer would still pay no regards to that warning.

Because the governor issued exceptions for medical facilities that needed to remain open. Which most people seem to be ignoring.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU.
Because the governor issued exceptions for medical facilities that needed to remain open. Which most people seem to be ignoring.

Um no. OP specifically states if she's required to work at a hospital that was ordered to be evacuated by the Governor yet the hospital has chosen to stay open.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Um no. OP specifically states if she's required to work at a hospital that was ordered to be evacuated by the Governor yet the hospital has chosen to stay open.

Uhm no. Despite what the OP stated, I actually read the governor's executive order outlining the evacuation order and all exceptions made there to.

The governor didn't specifically order any hospitals to close. He ordered evacuation of specific geogrpahic areas but allowed a broad exception to healthcare facilities that needed to remain open. The decision to remain open was left up to the facility's medical director.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment