Nurses in the path of Hurricane Irene

[Horseshoe]

This hurricane sounds like it has the potential to be a major event in large, heavily populated cities. If you work at a hospital or nursing facility in the path of this storm, what precautions are being taken prior to landfall? Will you be required to stay at the hospital? What are they telling you about calling in sick or calling in unable to get there? If you are staying at the hospital, what arrangements are you making for children/family?

[Chixie]

Im praying that you guys/gals over there stay safe!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

pretty much not much on cape cod. we got very little rain, lost a few big branches and had an unexpected firewood bonus when two oaks fell over the fence from the neighbor's, had the power on & off most of the day but on in time for the evening movie. we sorta sacked in with books and kitties and snoozed and canoodled; we needed a day like that.

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

Here in where I live, we had rain and wind, but no power outages. I did have a tree fall in the road that blocked me in, it wasn't cleared out until this morning. A few small branches fell in the yard. And my orchard didn't lose as much fruit as I was afraid I would lose. Down in the towns and cities surrounding me there was alot of flooding, I live up on a small mountian so flooding really wasn't much of a problem. Hope everyone made out as good as I did.

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

We were expected to show up - braving the rain, the winds, downed power lines and other hazards of the road....

.... and "top management" decided 'the storm doesn't warrant emergency status'. Meaning? We didn't get disaster pay.

Who gives a crap if the Governor declares a state of emergency, half the state is evacuating, there's driving bans in place etc.?

How many folks who took part in that corporate decision to declare it a "non-emergency" were out on the roads that night driving into work? Or the day after?

.... that's what I thought.

And yes, this is a "union" hospital...

Thankfully my residence avoided major headaches - but I have friends/colleagues over at my place because they're still out of power, out of water, basements flooded etc.

'Not a disaster' my left foot!!!

bitterly yours,

Roy