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.
That is absolutely INSANE! I've been through three hurricanes.. the worst a category 2 and it's no fun. The hospital I was working for at the time kept patients and staff there. EVERYONE (including the administrator) afterward said that would never happen again. Nurses, doctors, housekeepers are all people too. Personally; I'd get the h_ _ _ out of dodge! Especially if you have family.
While I think that the OP should leave if she wishes, she does risk losing her job by doing so. But quite bluntly, I would rather lose my job than my life, and she is way too close to danger.
If you review threads on Charley/Frances/Jeanne of last year, you will indeed find where nurses have lost their jobs for not permitting themselves to be "locked" in to their facility during a hurricane.
There were nurses that were on vacation (arranged well ahead of hurricane season) that were requested to cancel and return, or face possibly being fired.
And as the poster is from Texas, there is the risk of being "blacklisted" on the Group One website, which would impair her ability to get another job.
What needs to be done is some regulation regarding emergency/hospital staffing in the case of mandatory evacuation. The fact that there were several NO hospitals that were dealt major blows, demonstrate that management does not always act with its eyes towards the health and safety of staff and patients.
What is the Group One website, on which she might get blacklisted?
You know, I love what I do, I chose to be a nurse, but I did not take an oath to sacrifice my life or my families' well being for someone else. Call me selfish or whatever. We are humans too. I don't think a job should make us responsible for someone elses' poor choices. eg: to ignore a mandatory evacuation. I hate to see anyone suffer but these people made a choice while fully aware of the consequences. We have lives to live also and telling me I have to risk that life for a job!! I don't think so. Please get out while you can so you will be around to take care of the sick and injured after the storm. There are other jobs, but, there is only one you. My prayers are with you. Hopefully you are on your way out now.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
First, while Rita is a Cat 5, right now, she will weaken before making landfall, just like Charlie did. Two of our hospitals, located in Charlotte County, took direct hits from him and lost their roofs. And suffered rain damage. Within 12 hours our ERs were up and running. However, we were not located on an island. Galvestan is and accessable only by bridge. As an ICU/ER nurse, one has a responsibility to one's self and one's professional.
This being said, I will share with you what my daughter has to say on this situation. She is considered essential personnel however, if Rita was coming, she would leave. And her advice, to you, is to leave. She would tell her supervisor that she would return as soon as humanly possible, after Rita had passed. And she would make sure that she took every piece of ID to identify herself to gain readmittance. I love and respect my daughter but I disagree with her on this point.
Grannynurse
To Everyone,
I just don't get it! :smackingf If the patients are all gone, the fire department is gone, the only people left are the police, What is the reason to stay!!!!!! You cannot abandon patients that don't exist!!!!! GET OUT :redlight: GET ANOTHER JOB. If the hospital gets leveled with the staff inside you have no one to care for anyone!!! If there were patients like Katrina that puts a different twist on the story but the nurse who started this thread said specifically the paitents are all gone!!!! I WOULD NOT STAY TO MAN AN EMPTY HOSPITAL AND RISK MY LIFE AND LEAVE MY CHILDREN MOTHERLESS!! I have been an RN for 25 years all critical care Emergency of some sort. I have lived most of my life in the midwest and the tornadoes are bad enough but you don't have a 4 day warning. Dedication is one thing but to protect an empty hospital for those who won't leave GET REAL!! The hospital may after the storm triage but without power I am sure they will medivac out. :bowingpur MY UNDYING RESPECT goes out to the nurses that were abanoned with their patients in New Orleans!! Who was the mental giant to leave everyone below sea level; with critical patients!!!!!The BRAVERY and PROFESSIONALISM they all showed should be the example that there is still good in man kind!! BUt if the hospital is empty GET OUT!! By the way where's the CEO????? now...frustrated in boston Hey TexasRN34 You started this amazing discussion...would you have imagined It would have kept going? But haven't heard from you in hours I hope you are out of dodge... :sofahider post when you can let us know where you are!!!!
Just a few words of advice. Working through a hurricane was one of the most sureal experiences of my life and it was only a cat 1. I am not sure how old your daughter is but bring things to help her stay occupied and as self sustained as possible in the chaos such as food, water, flashlight and extra battaries, babywipes because there might not be water for hygeine, maybe a radio. You may not have water and if you go to generator power it will be hot because of no AC.
I would cram the four pets in two carriers or see if you can get some extra cardboard ones at PetSmart. Dont forget their food.
Will be thinking of you. please keep us posted.
If you are talking about officials being nuts because they are trying to keep the coastal hospitals open- I agree. However, people are trying to leave. I'm not sure if you have round the clock coverage like we do here. I am 30 miles west of Houston in Katy and the traffic situation here is in CRISIS MODE. People are trying to evacuate and there is no gas. They have been on the road for 10, 12, 16 hrs and slowly idling there gas away. It normally takes us 1hr 30 min to get to the beach in Galveston. A lady on the news left Galveston at noon and was just getting to Katy at 0530 in a.m. that's 17 hrs! Early this a.m. people were in fist fights at the gas pumps in Katy trying to fill-up. People are getting out of their vehicles and literally walking. TXDOT is trying to open up the inbound lanes for outbound traffic. Homeland security is talking about sending gas this way because there are drivers stranded all along every major freeway headed out of Houston. They are saying now that if you haven't evacuated now it probably isn't going to be worth it because chances are you will run out of gas before you get there. I am scheduled to work fri-sun (12 hr shifts) Our hospital has invited our families to stay at the hosptial, so I am taking my daughter with me. You can only bring pets in a carrier- we have 4 pets and 2 carriers. Most of the people I have talked to here in Katy are staying. We are not in a flood prone area and no mandatory evac. has been issued here. Please pray for everyone in our area.
I just don't get it! :smackingf If the patients are all gone, the fire department is gone, the only people left are the police, What is the reason to stay!!!!!! You cannot abandon patients that don't exist!!!!! GET OUT :redlight: GET ANOTHER JOB. If the hospital gets leveled with the staff inside you have no one to care for anyone!!! If there were patients like Katrina that puts a different twist on the story but the nurse who started this thread said specifically the paitents are all gone!!!! I WOULD NOT STAY TO MAN AN EMPTY HOSPITAL AND RISK MY LIFE AND LEAVE MY CHILDREN MOTHERLESS!! I have been an RN for 25 years all critical care Emergency of some sort. I have lived most of my life in the midwest and the tornadoes are bad enough but you don't have a 4 day warning. Dedication is one thing but to protect an empty hospital for those who won't leave GET REAL!! The hospital may after the storm triage but without power I am sure they will medivac out. :bowingpur MY UNDYING RESPECT goes out to the nurses that were abanoned with their patients in New Orleans!! Who was the mental giant to leave everyone below sea level; with critical patients!!!!!The BRAVERY and PROFESSIONALISM they all showed should be the example that there is still good in man kind!! BUt if the hospital is empty GET OUT!! By the way where's the CEO????? now...frustrated in boston Hey TexasRN34 You started this amazing discussion...would you have imagined It would have kept going? But haven't heard from you in hours I hope you are out of dodge... :sofahider post when you can let us know where you are!!!!
Lost in boston
You are correct, you do not get it and I do not mean this in an insulting manner. Mandatory evacuation, is mandatory only in respect that people should evacuate. However, the police do not have the manpower to physicially force anyone from their home. Nor will they. So, while Galvestan Island is basically deserted, there are more then likely any where for 500 to several thousand people, besides police, still in their homes and businesses. They stay at their own risk but once the hurricane has passed thru, anyone who is injuried or becomes ill will need ER treatment. And as I posted earlier, unless the CEO has current medical or nurses training, what use would they be?
Can you imagine Mass General closing down and totally evacuating every patient. And leaving the facility empty?? I can't and I know Mass General. And I know Boston, having lived and visited Littleton. And you don't think a hurricane can strike your neck of the woods? Find someone who remembers the hurricane the hit Mass, in the mid50s. Ask them about the wind and rain damage left by that hurricane. I remember it because I was living in Littleton, at the time.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Kriso,
Consider it done.
Just a few words of advice. Working through a hurricane was one of the most sureal experiences of my life and it was only a cat 1. I am not sure how old your daughter is but bring things to help her stay occupied and as self sustained as possible in the chaos such as food, water, flashlight and extra battaries, babywipes because there might not be water for hygeine, maybe a radio. You may not have water and if you go to generator power it will be hot because of no AC.
I would cram the four pets in two carriers or see if you can get some extra cardboard ones at PetSmart. Dont forget their food.
Will be thinking of you. please keep us posted.
You all are in our prayers!!!! As for your other pets tell them they are service animals for you or you daughter or therapy animals then they don't need a crate!!!!! YOu don't mention what kind if animalsat the hospital there are always boxes in central supply ect that could serve and cut holes in them for air when you get there then just rotate the animals between the crate and boxes...Remember ensure may not tatee good but is nutritious!!!.....
.Now I lay me down to sleep, Ipray the lord my soul to keep.......Keep your chip up!!! BOston
I work at the Texas Center for Infectious Disease in San Antonio as a nurse. We had to prepare our empty unit for the state employees from Corpus Chrisit State Hopital. The patients were being transfered to the San Antonio State Hospital. So they just evacuated both patient and employess together. Still not sure how I would feel about it. I know if my family were evacuating, I would want to be with my family.
Wow, that's unbelievable. Your life is more important than your job. You can always find another job, you can't find another life. I would say screw the hospital. Good luck to you. I'm so sorry you are in this predicament. You're in my thoughts and prayers.
I WOULD NOT STAY TO MAN AN EMPTY HOSPITAL AND RISK MY LIFE AND LEAVE MY CHILDREN MOTHERLESS!! I have been an RN for 25 years all critical care Emergency of some sort. I have lived most of my life in the midwest and the tornadoes are bad enough but you don't have a 4 day warning. Dedication is one thing but to protect an empty hospital for those who won't leave GET REAL!! The hospital may after the storm triage but without power I am sure they will medivac out. :bowingpur 
MY UNDYING RESPECT goes out to the nurses that were abanoned with their patients in New Orleans!! Who was the mental giant to leave everyone below sea level; 
with critical patients!!!!!The BRAVERY and PROFESSIONALISM they all showed should be the example that there is still good in man kind!! BUt if the hospital is empty GET OUT!! By the way 
where's the CEO????? now...frustrated in boston 
Hey TexasRN34 You started this amazing discussion...would you have imagined It would have kept going? But haven't heard from you in hours I hope you are out of dodge... :sofahider post when you can let us know where you are!!!!
StevenRN
25 Posts
That is absolutely INSANE! I've been through three hurricanes.. the worst a category 2 and it's no fun. The hospital I was working for at the time kept patients and staff there. EVERYONE (including the administrator) afterward said that would never happen again. Nurses, doctors, housekeepers are all people too. Personally; I'd get the h_ _ _ out of dodge! Especially if you have family.