Blue_Elder

When I say disciplined for attendance I mean it went against my attendance. The concept of calling them and just saying sorry I am not coming in tonight and not giving the facility a reason why is rude and worse some of you think I should have just lied. I could have called in because I myself had no hot water, power or phone. My yard was covered with debris from the town because I live just 2 miles from it. It might be worth noting that every person that is not in nursing (and lot who are) is confused as why It went against my attendance. Thanks for the advice and it is a done deal. I am now currently on a fire department. Let me clear I do understand that I made the wrong choice for the facility but I made the right choice for me. My heart is not with LTC but emergency response where my medical career started. I am going back to where I am happy.

Come on you guys. Just string her up already. This field is hard enough as it is without your peers making you feel like crap. I agree about being more concerned with the nurses who don't report it. Or who are bff's with the boss and nothing ever happens to them because they "had a rough shift". Comments like these and treating our nurses like this is why most nurses are taking anxiety meds or antidepressants, and wanting out of the profession.

Ok...lets think about this. Medication is used to treat diseases and disorders. I don't think they should be used to treat jobs. This is just my opinion but if I get to the point I need meds to face my job I will change careers.

Poet, I work in a very small LTC and the ladies I would have been working with that night did not live in the area. However I do not know if they had family in that area or not. I did but was not even able to drive to my sister's house until 2 days later. She was ok thank heavens. Also I have volunteered with the American Red Cross for over 3 years now.

I was scheduled to work the night a tornado hit the next town taking the town totally apart. A friend of mine who is a state police officer notified me of the disaster because he knew I had been a firefighter before I became a nurse and asked me to help. I called the LTC facility I work at and the ADON said I would have to find my own coverage. I couldn't believe she didn't say ok and try to cover my shift for me or the management cover for me as there way to help. I understand every nurse should not just drop everything and fly to the disaster but my skill set is a little different than most nurses with my firefighting experience. I tried to get it covered myself but the girl I asked said she would if she could get her child picked up by another family member. I don't know why she did not call back, it could have very well been because of lines down, towers down, and electric down. When I didn't get an answer within fifteen minutes or so I left for the tornado victims. The next week they wrote me up for attendance and said I put the the residents at the facility in danger by not having adequate staff. Please...this certainly was not the first time the facility would have been short staffed as anyone who works in LTC can tell you. Tell me what you think. Should it have counted against me?