Forced to stay and work under mandatory evacuation?

Nurses Safety

Published

I live near the gulf where evacuating for hurricanes is a possibility around this time. The hospital where I work places nurses on teams. One team is forced to say, the other forced to come back 24 hrs after the hurricane is gone, and the other can come back when regular citizens come back.

My question can they legally do this? I was placed on the team that's forced to stay in the hospital with pts. They'll keep ICU, ER and MY floor open only.

There will be no extra pay, no bonus, just regular pay and time and 1/2 when you're in over time. Expected to sleep in the hospital, in semi-pvt room WITH ANOTHER CO-WORKER!

If the evacuation is mandatory how can they legally tell me to stay and WORK? Can I be fired for leaving?

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Well you did stop calling in after 4 months. You had effectively been fired the moment you did go in just instead they chose not to use you rather than outright fire you. The 12 months later was just a formality to get you off the books.

In an emergency your free to do what you like but you can bet your employer is going to have some expectations of you and if your don't met them then they are free to let you go and give your hours to someone more compliant. It happens regarding ALL kinds of situations not just disasters. You did what you thought was best but unfortunately your employer disagreed.

I can guarantee some one who DID show up was griping something along the lines of "I don't see why I here and blah blah blah's not. Its not fair blah blah. She gets the best hours blah blah"

0 Votes
Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
It has nothing to do with liking it or not...it was an honest quietism expecting an honest answer.

Do you mean question or do you seek to put my confusion to an end and return AN to a state of quietness. If so good luck with that ;)

0 Votes
Specializes in Forensic Psych.

Do you mean question or do you seek to put my confusion to an end and return AN to a state of quietness. If so good luck with that ;)

Hah, well I just learned a new word today, thanks to autocorrect!

0 Votes
Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
Hah, well I just learned a new word today, thanks to autocorrect!

Take it as a compliment that I thought you were cerebral enough to float that concept out. :D

0 Votes
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I'm personally under the impression that some people think their time is more valuable and/or they should be able to do whatever they want because they have a family. They certainly use that crutch on much less pressing matters than tornado duty. Rarely do I think it results in some group of childless superheroes doing all the emergency work, since a) there do exist plenty of parents with morals and work ethic, and b) there just aren't that darn many of us out there.

I think we need to value all life and whether you "know them" or not...... human life should be valued. When I had children, I made the decision to be responsible for another human life....at all costs, for the rest of my life. If my family/husband/significant other could not secure their safety. I would have to..... and I would gladly quit my job to do so.

The threat of a tornado and a hurricane are completely different. It's all about the warning. Those nurses in Joplin OK who had their lives, and hospital, blown to bits in a matter of seconds. They could only pray that their children/husbands/families survived. I am positive each and every nurse came to the aid of their neighbors and did their best to save those patients that day.

Hurricanes however....are different. There are days of warnings. I had a different view before Katrina. My post Katrina thoughts made me realize that if my children and dog were not far away with family and safe......II would not be going to work...... I would be ensuring their safety and posting my resume on Monster.com. We all have choices to make for our own personal reasons.....one cannot condemn another for theirs....even if it is fear.

Being responsible for children is not a crutch but an obligation. Being a parent is the hardest job I have ever attempted and has given me the greatest rewards. I owe my children a breathing living parent. That I sacrificed my life for a complete stranger will not give them loving arms to seek shelter from life's heartbreak and dangers. I owe them a living parent....and I will sacrifice my job to do so.

I have placed myself in dangerous situations by choice.....my last search and rescue made me realize that once I had children.....I had to stop. I owed them more than I owed myself. I will always perform my duty......to a point. I remember the DNC the last election in Boston and all the hype about closing highways etc. I flew my parents in from Chicago to ensure that if I got "stuck" my children were safe and cared for.

I think we need to be respectful of other nurses choices and remember that the thread is about the legalities of mandatory call in during a disaster whenthere are mandatory evacuations being ordered.

0 Votes
I think we need to value all life and whether you "know them" or not...... human life should be valued. When I had children, I made the decision to be responsible for another human life....at all costs, for the rest of my life. If my family/husband/significant other could not secure their safety. I would have to..... and I would gladly quit my job to do so.
This is exactly what I was trying to say.
0 Votes
Specializes in Forensic Psych.

Take it as a compliment that I thought you were cerebral enough to float that concept out. :D

Well then consider me complimented. I was barely cerebral enough to figure out what the heck you were talking about. I was staring at my phone completely confused as to why you were accusing my of trying to unconfuse you when I just said it was just a question!

More coffee, more sleep.

0 Votes
Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Phones cloud your judgement ;0

0 Votes
Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
I think we need to value all life and whether you "know them" or not...... human life should be valued. When I had children, I made the decision to be responsible for another human life....at all costs, for the rest of my life.

Welll, it was more of a joke than anything, but since you brought it up - I didn't have kids, and I'm not responsible for anyone else's unless they're wearing an arm band with a bar code on it!

0 Votes
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Well, it was more of a joke than anything, but since you brought it up - I didn't have kids, and I'm not responsible for anyone Else's unless they're wearing an arm band with a bar code on it!

No one is asking you to be responsible for their children......I was asking for you to walk a moment in someone else's shoes. Have empathy.

To tell a parent you don't value their child's life, whether or not it's a joke....is like yelling fire in a crowded theater......somehow it's just wrong.

But, we are both entitled to our opinions as long as we voice them politely.

Again......the original post is about the legality of mandatory work orders in a disaster situation which I believe we have answered that it is legal for one's employer to mandate their employees to work in a disaster situation and whether her refusal will result in termination.

I believe those questions were answered. Let's stay on topic...or the thread will be closed for staff review

0 Votes
Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

Isn't also somehow wrong to state your kids are more important than anything else. If we have to be empathic, we should be empathetic all. I mean the basic point the OP had was she felt it unfair that she had to risk harm and discomfort when others did not though the selection criteria was different.

The more replies I read to this topic the more I lean to the OP's side. I just assume that most people were like myself and had a sense of duty that if disaster struck and I had a useful skill to offer that I would instead of just hunkering down with my husband.

Incidently I have a 3 month food supply, can spin, weave and sew, drive a horse and carriage so in case of an appolacyse I'm set ;0

0 Votes
Specializes in Forensic Psych.

Welll, it was more of a joke than anything, but since you brought it up - I didn't have kids, and I'm not responsible for anyone else's unless they're wearing an arm band with a bar code on it!

What in the world does that have to do with anything? Some people say they'd stay in an emergency. Some people say they'd go home to their kids. I'm pretty sure nobody said they'd send you home to take care of their kids.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment