So I've been a nurse for 4 years now. I live in the south where snow is not common. As of today every school system in the area is closed due to the snow. I have no kids, but this tells you how bad it is in the area. I live in the country and it's a 35 minute interstate drive to the hospital where I work. I am not sure if I should attempt to get to work or simply call out. I feel like I should at least try, but I've never had this problem before because I haven't been scheduled to work during a snow event before. I have very little experience driving in snow and the roads aren't plowed out here in the country.
So what would you do in this situation? Or what have you done in the past?
I am posting this because I really want opinions of nurses, not just my family/friends who advise me to stay home.
It's an Internet forum and people will portray themselves in any light. With that being said, I refuse to believe people are going to travel to work in a raging blizzard out of a sense of duty. Let's be real here. We're not super men or women. I'm not taking any chances at being swept off the road because I have to make it to work. Yes, I have worked 36 and 48 hour shifts (20 hours of work/4 hours of rest cycles as per my hospital's policy) through hurricanes and blizzards because the next shift couldn't or didn't come into work. And that's okay. Because if a nurse on my unit was swept off the road because they had to drive through "white out" conditions (as a previous poster mentioned) just to make it to work, I would feel devastated.
Unfortunately, the white out conditions can happen en route (that was me). It was snowing when I left the house but by about halfway there I was using the highway markers to make sure I was still on the road because plows weren't out on a Saturday morning at 4:00 am. Wasn't trying to say I did something special, just saying that sometimes it happens and we deal with it because it's what we do. And had the conditions gotten any worse (feeling like I couldn't stay on the road), I would have stopped or turned back. But that's also what being prepared with emergency supplies is meant to cover. That was my point about the conditions.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
So, I work ALL Holidays and every weekend of the year.
95% of the time I can and do make it in to work in spite of snow, sleet, hail, or dark of night. Frequently I put in extra time when I am asked. I am no slacker and seldom call out. I have spent several days/nights at work if I am already there and road conditions are treacherous. I hold no grudges toward those who, for whatever reason, can't make it in. You may assume something about a co-worker if you wish, but you do not know everyone's circumstances.
If there is a day when I cannot get in to work, snow or no snow, I don't expect to receive a ration of excrement about it.
Not everything is black or white.
I will not rain down on the ones who can't/don't make it in. Things have a way of balancing out.
That is completely ok that you don't care about my family. It's not your place nor your job because it's mine. I'm not insulting you. In fact I haven't said anything ugly. I have been called a special snowflake and now you make hostile remarks because I don't agree with you. Doesn't change my stance and I'm not speaking out both sides of my mouths. There are nurses with children that will go in because they feel guilty. My point is I don't because I'm doing what's right for me and it's ok that you don't like it.
I am not being hostile. I am stating a fact and giving my perception. Just because you don't like it, doesn't make it hostile.
While I totally get people's frustrations about people with children not wanting to come into work because child care issues or whatever, what really rubs me the wrong way is how some people are saying "you chose to have kids" well, EXCUSE them for not planning starting a family around a JOB (or hell, maybe they didn't necessarily choose.. I was an "oops" baby).
I understand that they can take jobs at schools or doctor's offices and have more leniency when calling in or may be closed due to inclement weather, but maybe they need the higher hospital pay to support those kids they CHOSE to have. I don't have kids so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I would never fault someone for not making it into work due to a freak snow storm or whatever because they have kids. Sure, I may be annoyed, but I would never blame them. I've had jobs (non-essential) where my boss has called me on short notice (like at 5:30 AM and he wanted me to cover his shift at 6) asking me to cover him because his daughter was sick and he couldn't make it in. NEVER would it cross my mind that "it's not my problem, you chose to have kids". I put on my big girl childless panties and do what needs to be done to be there and work. We're supposed to be a team and we're all in this together.
I understand that it's dangerous to have tired short staffed nurses taking care of patients. I get that. And if I were in this position I would do everything in my ability to make it in to work. I'd leave early, I'd foot the bill for a hotel (a hotel is a bonus because I LOVE staying in hotels =] ) I'd do what I'd have to. But I will NOT risk my life to make it in to work. I signed up to be a nurse not a martyr.
I'm also from Tn like op and in my area today's snow wasn't that bad. The last 2 weeks snow storms on the other hand were awful. We're just not equipped for this amount of snow in such a short amount of time, especially in the mountains. I went to work in the snow. I didn't miss one day but, it was definitely an awful week. I had been taking my husband's 4x4 and didn't have a problem until we got some freezing rain on top the snow. I couldn't get out of the driveway and slid into the back porch. Luckily my boss is nice and drove 35 miles to pick me up, she got stuck in my driveway for an hour. I fell 3x helping dig her 4x4 out and busted my shoulder up some. I make it to work almost 3 hours late. I drove myself the rest of the week and we ended up getting 6 more inches on top of what we had. On the way home I got stuck after I got off of the main roads, slid into a small ditch and walked the rest of the way home, falling again.. Some roads, even main roads didn't get treated for days. Police and wreckers weren't responding to minor wrecks so, cars were stuck in ditches for days. I got my car home after 3 days and parked in my neighbors yard for a week till I could get it up my driveway. A week and half later there are still cars stuck places. The interstate and main roads kept getting shut down because, trucks kept jackknifing and there were pile ups with several fatal wrecks. We even had some hypothermia deaths from people getting stuck and walking, one lady was found frozen to the ground and actually lived. I hate to miss work and will try to get there if possible but, sometimes it really is safer to just stay home.
I'm also from Tn like op and in my area today's snow wasn't that bad. The last 2 weeks snow storms on the other hand were awful. We're just not equipped for this amount of snow in such a short amount of time, especially in the mountains. I went to work in the snow. I didn't miss one day but, it was definitely an awful week. I had been taking my husband's 4x4 and didn't have a problem until we got some freezing rain on top the snow. I couldn't get out of the driveway and slid into the back porch. Luckily my boss is nice and drove 35 miles to pick me up, she got stuck in my driveway for an hour. I fell 3x helping dig her 4x4 out and busted my shoulder up some. I make it to work almost 3 hours late. I drove myself the rest of the week and we ended up getting 6 more inches on top of what we had. On the way home I got stuck after I got off of the main roads, slid into a small ditch and walked the rest of the way home, falling again.. Some roads, even main roads didn't get treated for days. Police and wreckers weren't responding to minor wrecks so, cars were stuck in ditches for days. I got my car home after 3 days and parked in my neighbors yard for a week till I could get it up my driveway. A week and half later there are still cars stuck places. The interstate and main roads kept getting shut down because, trucks kept jackknifing and there were pile ups with several fatal wrecks. We even had some hypothermia deaths from people getting stuck and walking, one lady was found frozen to the ground and actually lived. I hate to miss work and will try to get there if possible but, sometimes it really is safer to just stay home.
This is clearly the dedication nurses here are looking for. They don't care if you were hurt or how many times you fell just get your butt to work. Drove into a ditch, walked home, and fell again who cares just get to work. This story is an example of why many of us call out. There is no good reason you should put yourself through all of that to please others. Safety first because none of them will be paying your medical bills when you are seriously injured.
I've been to work in the snow and ice. Last year, several of us stayed in a hotel. It sucks indeed but it is part of the inclement weather policy to be prepared. I work in an outpatient facility also and even they did not close.
So it isn't just bedside nurses that are compelled to come to work.
Oh and also in this area weather is unpredictable and changes quickly. (I feel sorry for our meteorologists) They will call for 2 inches and we end up getting 6, or they call for 4 and we get nothing or freezing rain instead etc. It makes planning ahead hard. The night we got 6 inches while I was at work they were just calling for a dusting to 1-2 inches and some areas ended up getting 8-9 inches.
All of those changing weather details don't matter. You need to be a combination of Mother Teresa, a Girl Scout, and GI Jane, lol. No excuses will be accepted here. Let us not forget the psychic ability you will require to predict the exact weather so you may be on time.....insert very sarcastic eye roll here...
blessedNhopeful
156 Posts
Soooooooo, ummmmm... Am I the only one wondering if the OP ended up going into work today or not??