Rita's coming-my hospital won't close!!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Need all of your input before possibly my last shift here today:

My hospital is about 4-5 blocks from the gulf and right in the path of Rita which is currently 170-175 mph winds.

They keep reporting on TV how the hospitals here are evacuating which they are, our last patient was air lifted out last night.

But...they are making us stay here and ride it out for the stragglers who didn't follow the mandatory evacuation.

We have absolutely no patients in this hospital but they refuse to close it and are keeping our ER open which consequently means that we need OR, ICU, etc. beds open as well.

The storm surge is expected to be quite high.

I'm thinking of leaving here today after my shift is over and evacuating and will probably get fired.

Am I crazy?

What would you all do if you were me?

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

Has a mandatory evacuation order been issued for your area? If so, I would get the heck out of there, and threaten legal action if your employer fires you since, in order to stay at work, you would have to defy a mandatory evacuation order.

It's not like there are any patients left to care for. I can understand that someone may need to stay and provide a skeleton staff for the facility. That is administration's job, not yours.

It is my opinion that anyone who chooses to defy a mandatory evacuation order does so at their own risk. The stragglers, as your hospital calls them, have absolutely no right to expect fire, rescue, or hospital personnel to put themselves in peril to come to their aid.

Go now, and care for yourself and your family. Be safe!

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

Just get out!!!!!! :angryfire The Fire Department and Firefighters are the only people in the WORLD that run INTO something that EVERYONE IS RUNNING FROM!!!! :redlight: Remember 09/11/01!!!!!! If they are leaving FOLLOW THEM!!!!! :banghead: What could the hospital possibly be thinking???? GET your partner and GET OUT!!!! by the way, Come North it's a little cold but the pay is great! :twocents: boston RN, BSN, CCRN, BCEN, CFRN, CRNI

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Ummm.... did they learn nothing from Katrina and that nursing home that lost 40+ residents just because they didn't want to evacuate for whatever reason?

These people don't have your best interests in mind, that includes your life. Personally, I would get out of there, be safe and worry about whether you will have a job later.

I'm sorry for saying this, but that is so stupid that they are mandating you. Get outta there and be safe!! Come to Oklahoma while there's some space left! :)

If I owned my own home I'd invite anyone from allnurses.com to crash here but 1) we too are in the path (of course, not like Houston is) and 2) I really haven't consulted my hubby on this and I'm not sure he'd be keen on letting strangers crash here. Sorry, but I wish I could help! :o

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Need all of your input before possibly my last shift here today:

My hospital is about 4-5 blocks from the gulf and right in the path of Rita which is currently 170-175 mph winds.

They keep reporting on TV how the hospitals here are evacuating which they are, our last patient was air lifted out last night.

But...they are making us stay here and ride it out for the stragglers who didn't follow the mandatory evacuation.

We have absolutely no patients in this hospital but they refuse to close it and are keeping our ER open which consequently means that we need OR, ICU, etc. beds open as well.

The storm surge is expected to be quite high.

I'm thinking of leaving here today after my shift is over and evacuating and will probably get fired.

Am I crazy?

What would you all do if you were me?

Leave now. Don't wait for your shift. Get out. Go.

You can always get another job. The fire department is gone now. You should go, too. The first thing in any emergency is to survey the scene. Your scene is looking pretty grim. I understand the difficulty in the decision. It is hard to think about leaving people that may need you later. You will not be doing them any good if you are injured or worse.

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"Regardless I can see the need for the ER ICU and OR have just enough staff to function for people or emergency workers who become injured. :redlight: One would hope that they have made provisions for food water and power for those who would VOLUNTEER to stay in house for incomming injured... Noone can FORCE you place yourself in danger."

Yes I'd fall into that catagory for ICU and can work other areas if needed. I'd be more than happy to return here to help injured emergency workers/police, etc. as well as the people who stayed behind.

I completely understand the need for medical care but one thing to keep in mind is that there is a huge city (Houston) that is keeping it's hospital doors open. They too will suffer the storm but they are certainly safer inland than we are here.

I'd be more than happy to go up to the inland hospitals and work where we shipped our patients to (they were all so great in helping expedite the patient transfers) but I'm not staying here.

I can't believe that I stayed as long as I did just because I like my job so much and really didn't want to lose it.

Thanks for all of the input.

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Like they say here when there is a mandatory evacuation: A mandatory evacuation means that if residents choose to stay then there will be no one to rescue them if something happens. They can call 911 all night long, but nobody will be able to help. That is the chance they take. If residents think there is a hospital open close to them then they might stay when they shouldn't. That's why they evacuate the fire department- to drive home the fact that EVERYONE (including you:) ) needs to leave.

Like someone else said-No patients means no patient abandonment. If your area is spared then you can come right back- if not then they are going to send all of you patients to other hospitals....Why fill a hospital back up that's already empty if there is no power, no communications, and limited ability to get supplies.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
Just get out!!!!!! :angryfire The Fire Department and Firefighters are the only people in the WORLD that run INTO something that EVERYONE IS RUNNING FROM!!!! :redlight: Remember 09/11/01!!!!!! If they are leaving FOLLOW THEM!!!!! :banghead: What could the hospital possibly be thinking???? GET your partner and GET OUT!!!! by the way, Come North it's a little cold but the pay is great! :twocents: boston RN, BSN, CCRN, BCEN, CFRN, CRNI

Excellent point here. Risk losing your job and NEVER your life!

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Specializes in ICU, step down, dialysis.

Like another poster said, they are asking you to risk your life to keep open a hospital with no patients...utterly ridiculous. I'd leave too.

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

boston again

"Regardless I can see the need for the ER ICU and OR have just enough staff to function for people or emergency workers who become injured. :redlight: One would hope that they have made provisions for food water and power for those who would VOLUNTEER to stay in house for incomming injured... Noone can FORCE you place yourself in danger."

Texas,

If the hospital is gone you won't have a place to work any how...so, do what I just said...FOLLOW THE FIREFIGHTERS!!!!!!!!They are the only people in the world that run into something that EVERYONE is running from....remember 09/11/01!!!! :redlight: You cannot abandon what is not there..since a manditory evacuation has been issued those who stay should be notified by the police and have them ask their next of kin and do they have any identifying marks.... :eek: this way they would know how many were to brave or stupid to leave but that may also cause a few to rethink their decision. :smackingf Let them know the hospital will cease operations until the storm is over and offer staff to outlying hospitals to compensate for the increase of patient load (yes I have done this before). JUST GET OUT.....You will find another job....but you cannot find another life. ps. could you pick up any stray animals you may see on yourway out? Ge them to a shelter...... I've been rehoming many and sending food xo boston

Yes I'd fall into that catagory for ICU and can work other areas if needed. I'd be more than happy to return here to help injured emergency workers/police, etc. as well as the people who stayed behind.

I completely understand the need for medical care but one thing to keep in mind is that there is a huge city (Houston) that is keeping it's hospital doors open. They too will suffer the storm but they are certainly safer inland than we are here.

I'd be more than happy to go up to the inland hospitals and work where we shipped our patients to (they were all so great in helping expedite the patient transfers) but I'm not staying here.

I can't believe that I stayed as long as I did just because I like my job so much and really didn't want to lose it.

Thanks for all of the input.

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Good point Boston.

It's quite likely that I'll have neither a hospital nor a home when it's all said and done.

The evac. routes are all clogged right now. They are supposed to open all of the southbound lanes for northbound traffic to help the congestion at 10 am.

BTW, I've been to Boston, beautiful city but I'd die of the cold. I'd need to find a new locale somewhere closer to the equator than where you are.

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Any injured fire or police officers will be sent to Houston. The residents have already been told that no services would be provided for them if they chose to stay, such as hospitals, fire, etc.

My suggestion is to get out now while the birdge is even still there. Sorry for what you are going thru.

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Curious question? Where is the person that mandated that you must stay? Are they already in Houston?

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