Scheduled to work called out due to snow--can I be fired?

Nurses General Nursing

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I was scheduled to go to work today. I live about 40 miles away from work got in my car and found visibility to be very bad and did not feel safe driving--train not an option. I called out and was told that my patients needed me and that administration was not happy and that I would be dealt with later? Intimidation or is this ground for termination?

I feel that I give so much of myself at work. But it's still not enough. Can I be let go or this?

Why oh why do nures think and allow others to tell us that we must risk our personal and family safetly for the sake of STRANGERS. Yes patients are strangers and yes we are nurses but we also have a right to be safe and warm in our homes during weather that is so bad that even the government has stopped plowing the roads due to unsafe conditions. Do not bow down to this behavior by others.

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I think this is one of those gray areas of nursing my teachers keep mentioning................

when i was a student, it was drilled into our heads about our responsibility in getting to work- no excuses whatsoever.

no gray areas about that.:)

and as another poster stated, if you're in an at-will state, you can be fired w/o cause.

leslie

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

thanks for your concern.

typical me... i was fine until i got home then came totally and completely unglued. :sofahider :crying2:

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

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Specializes in Mostly geri :).
thanks for your concern.

typical me... i was fine until i got home then came totally and completely unglued. :sofahider :crying2:

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

i'm surprised the cop didn't let you go because you were a nurse......................a teacher said cop never give nurses tickets because that's who's care they will be in if they're ever hurt in the line of duty. just a month or two before spring............it will all be ok soon lol..............

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If it's an "employment at will state", they can terminate you when they want to terminate you. But if it's really dangerous to drive or be on the roads and they cannot pick you up, remember that your safety is more important-----and also, if you get hurt or something bad happened to you on the road, will they take full responsibility for it? Who will take care of your family, especially if you have minor kids?

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
I was scheduled to go to work today. I live about 40 miles away from work got in my car and found visibility to be very bad and did not feel safe driving--train not an option. I called out and was told that my patients needed me and that administration was not happy and that I would be dealt with later? Intimidation or is this ground for termination?

I feel that I give so much of myself at work. But it's still not enough. Can I be let go or this?

If you work for a hospital, they likely have a formal policy for this. Check the employee policy manual they gave you when you hired in. Most of the time they do not terminate for this type of a thing if there was some sort of weather advisory for your area. Additionally, those facilities in the snow belts will frequently have emergency transportation protocols that are put into place to get essential personnel to the facility. Large hospitals in those regions often own 1 or more 4x4 vehicles and may use them to pick up MDs, RNs, RTs, etc. If your presence was required for patient safety and it was not safe for you to drive, they could offer to pick you up. (a note of caution, if you go plan on staying when in a true weather emergency). I would imagine that southern coastal states have hurricane plans which are similar.

In my area fog usually lifts adequately to allow prudent driving, so calling in a delay due to fog rather than calling off due to fog seems more appropriate. That may not be true for your location.

That being said, if you live in an at will employment state your employer may choose at any time to end your employment without cause. This was pointed out in an earlier post. If your employer was not impressed that the weather warranted your unexcused absence from work, they may well decide to dismiss you. It doesn't matter if you were in violation of a policy, assuming they have one, you did not come in on your appointed shift and they had to figure out how to cover you...that is the bottom line.

That might sound bleak...sorry. I was 2 hours late this morning because of weather...lol. So I completely understand the whole "unsafe to drive" thing.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
i'm surprised the cop didn't let you go because you were a nurse......................a teacher said cop never give nurses tickets because that's who's care they will be in if they're ever hurt in the line of duty. just a month or two before spring............it will all be ok soon lol..............

i was about 5 miles from work and he did drive me back home, which was about a hour each way for him on that awful day. my accordion-like jeep was towed to our local jeep dealer so the insurance rep could officially pronounce her dead and cut a check.

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I assume you are in the mid-atlantic area like Pennsylvania or Maryland. The snow we have experienced here the past few days is extraordinary. We have been declared as a "state of emergency" and many of the roads have been impassable. Even the Penguins game has 4,000 empty seats tonight! If this is where you live, I doubt you will be fired for calling in during this weather. Just remember that your coworkers have probably been stuck at the hospital for days. I would go in as soon as I could.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Peds, Pediatraic Home Care, Infusion.
I'm surprised the cop didn't let you go because you were a nurse......................a teacher said cop never give nurses tickets because that's who's care they will be in if they're ever hurt in the line of duty. Just a month or two before spring............it will all be ok soon lol..............

Giggle---------------That teacher is without a clue.

All kinds of people with all kinds of mood disorders--------good, bad, grumpy, etc work for law enforcement.

My first year as a RN in IOWA on a bleak,winter, frozen, winter morning after leaving the hospital after working night shift, I got a ticket for going FIVE miles over the limit. Are you kidding me? He could not care less where I was coming from or what kind of work I did.

Now in ARIZONA-----------Lots of SUNSHINE----I have been stopped three times in ten years and not one ticket after finding out I am a nurse. And I was really BAD one of those times. The sunshine is the factor is my theory. People are much happier with blue sky and sunshine. Problem with photo-radar----------it does not understand or relate to uniforms or stethescopes (thought about hanging one on my rear-view mirror.) Got ticket with photo radar x 2. :-(

I have risked my life many times in Iowa driving in conditions that were way too dangerous to get to work. When I look back at those days I am appalled that I would do that. Just stupid.

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I checked my union book it says that when serious weather arrives and we are not able to make it we can take a vacation day or personal day. Thus I don't understand why they told me they "would take care of me later". Or refused to transfer me so I could request a personal day.

I've come to the ugly realization that my hospital doesn't care about its nurses. All those nights of having 11pts per nite means nothing to them. I'm just expected to give give give until I can't anymore. And that means putting my safety las I guess.

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Specializes in medical surgical.

As a nurse manager having 1 nurse out makes it so difficult for the other employees and the patients. It is your responsibility to check the weather report and my nurses have stayed in town or in the hospital.

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Specializes in CVICU.

I think it's ridiculous to expect someone to risk their lives to get to work. We have a code SSS, which means that when there's severe weather the previous shift stays until enough staff arrives for the next shift, and then the house supervisor and others will do what they can to cover the shifts so everyone from the previous shifts can leave. My facility will also send an ambulance to come and get you if they can so that you can get to work. If the roads are legitimately hazardous, it is not worth it to risk your own life. It just isn't. A reasonable management staff will realize that. The only way I could see it being an issue would be if you're a person for whom attendance is already an issue. If you have a good attendance record, there's no reason for you not to call off when you can't get there safely.

I live 30 miles from work and have to traverse some pretty treacherous roads in the winter. I haven't had to call off yet because of this, but believe me, as a mother of two young children I'm not going to risk leaving them motherless so that I can go taking care of strangers.

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