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.
What is this thing called snow driving experience? It's not like we trained for it like NASCAR or anything ... ... Just drive slow and vigilantly, that's all.
And guess what? My tires, they are all-weather, purchased in FLORIDA! No problems driving in snow or ice here in the northeast :)
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Just drive slow and vigilantly, that's all.
At 5 miles per hour my vehicle was skidding, sliding and spinning on the two sheets of ice beneath it. At 5 miles per hour I could not maintain control of my vehicle for more than a couple of miles.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
When I lived in Northern Mass. I used to joke to my 3-11 co-workers, "I may not be able to get IN to work, but I can ALWAYS make it home from work!" And I did, too, but dern, it is tough driving 15 mile into a blizzard at night and all those thick white flakes coming at you in the headlights and you're having to look through them to see ahead of you.
Edited to add:
And in an ice storm? You can fire me if you want to, but I ain't coming! If a big heavy sand truck has absolutely NO traction, no way am I taking myself and my beat up old reliable, dependable car out to even TRY! Neither of us are replaceable. (the car because I can't afford even the smallest car payment!)
I am also in the south and I have had to work in every snow storm that has hit this past month. We cannot call out for snow but they make bed available in the hospital I work at if you want to stay. Just go slow and give yourself plenty of time.
Indiana girl here, and more than once I've had to stay over because day shift can't or won't make it in during or after a snowstorm. It is not fun! I live in town and have offered my house to coworkers to stay so they don't have to travel the roads.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
People in the Northeast and Midwest may not realize that our roads go unsalted, unplowed and untreated during winter storms and blizzards. Snow tires, chains and cables are not sold in this region. In addition, people in this area generally do not know how to drive in ice or snow.
Believe it or not, some cities and/or states forbid the use of chains during all weather with the exception of certain vehicles (school buses). Granted, living where I do, I have had plenty of experience driving in snow (heck, even test drove my previous car in the middle of a blizzard), but I have had to contend with untreated, unplowed, and un-whatever roads in my travels to and from work without the benefit of snow chains or even snow tires- I have the standard all-weather or whatever they're called. While perhaps more pronounced in areas with little snow, even those that see plenty each winter have to prioritize what roads get plowed/treated and when.
I drove home from work today in the midst of the biggest snowfall of the season, and drove through about 7 inches of snow once I turned off the main roads. Being on call, I also run the risk of having to get back to the facility- within 30 minutes. It's why I own an all wheel drive vehicle, a snowblower, a snow shovel that lives in my car, and other weather-related supplies both at home and in the car.
I'm of the opinion that if one has gotten notice (the forecast is announced regularly on TV, the news, and non-stop on the internet), then one has the responsibility of making arrangements in order to get to work when one has accepted a position classified as essential personnel. Whether that's leaving hours early, renting a hotel room, or sleeping at the facility itself, it's doable.
In the name of Devil's advocate- there are some employees who do not have the option of staying overnight or leaving hours early. I am a single mom with 3 young children. I do not have overnight child care for them and the earliest I can drop them off is 6:15am for my 7am job.
This is one of the many reasons I took a job as a school nurse. We close if the weather is bad and I don't have to scramble to find an expensive sitter when the schools close.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
A coworker on a PD case actually stayed 4 or 5 twelve hour shifts during the last big snowstorm. I was soooo jealous of her overtime. They never even called me ! ( it was during my days off). She told me later that even if I had got there, she wouldn't have left.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
In the name of Devil's advocate- there are some employees who do not have the option of staying overnight or leaving hours early. I am a single mom with 3 young children. I do not have overnight child care for them and the earliest I can drop them off is 6:15am for my 7am job.
This is one of the many reasons I took a job as a school nurse. We close if the weather is bad and I don't have to scramble to find an expensive sitter when the schools close.
If someone wants to work in acute care, one has to make provisions for snow days and hurricane weeks and whatever else nature (or man) can send at us. You've chosen to work as a school nurse. You've done the responsible thing. But anyone who wishes to work in acute care had best have child care or elder care provisions in place. It's part of the interview process in our hospital. "Do you have an emergency plan in place to care for your children, pets or dependent elders if you are stuck at work during a weather emergency?" Or something to that effect.
The only person I'd exclude from that is someone who JUST had a change in family situation. Your father died last week and your mother, suffering from dementia, is staying with you until the assisted living bed opens up next week. Your spouse was just diagnosed with cancer, had major surgery and you're caring for them at home and your mother-in-law who agreed to take care of them while you were at work cannot get there. (If she'd turned on her TV and knew of the snowstorm, she might have left early to get to your house so that you could go to work.)
If you choose to take a job in acute care, you're expected to have provisions in place to take care of anyone dependent upon you.
My thoughts exactly. I would like to "like" this multiple times. You should not wait until the bad weather arrives to ask these questions, make decisions, and take action. You should already know what your employer's expectations are -- and their system for handling such things. A good employer has plans to deal with these types of things.
If you had any warning this bad weather was coming, you could have arranged to spend the previous night somewhere near the hospital -- or actually in the hospital, if they allow that. That's what my employer does: it calls in a shift of people to sleep here so that there are 2 shifts of people in the hospital. Half are working and half are sleeping. Those people can handle things by rotating work/sleep until the danger has passed. They are the "A" team. The "B" team are those people at home -- who are expected to clear their personal schedules for a few days so that they can come in and give the "A" team members a day or two off so they can recover.
If your employer (or department) does not have a plan for dealing with weather emergencies and other community problems -- encourage them to develop one.
Seriously? I should not wait until the weather hits to ask these questions? Do you really believe that how I will get to work hasn't crossed my mind until now? I am not going into work an entire 24 hours early so that I will not miss my shift. Sorry I'm not that dedicated. I might show up 12 hours early but no sooner. My life does not revolve around the hospital. I also will not be paying a non-reimbursed hotel bill. I already know how my hospital handles these situations. Since I haven't been in this situation before I was just asking for helpful opinions. I didn't post this question to be criticized.
Seriously? I should not wait until the weather hits to ask these questions? Do you really believe that how I will get to work hasn't crossed my mind until now? I am not going into work an entire 24 hours early so that I will not miss my shift. Sorry I'm not that dedicated. I might show up 12 hours early but no sooner. My life does not revolve around the hospital. I also will not be paying a non-reimbursed hotel bill. I already know how my hospital handles these situations. Since I haven't been in this situation before I was just asking for helpful opinions. I didn't post this question to be criticized.
I applaud many of you. Very dedicated nurses here . However, I am not going out of my way to rent a motel/hotel room, sleep at a stranger's house, or drive through a blizzard with zero visibility. What? Now, I WILL stay over if I am asked to and I WILL leave an hour or so early to make it in; however, I WILL NOT go to work 24 hours in advance for my shift. Sorry, but no.
For every person that "can't make it in to work" - a nightshifter (or dayshifter, depending on when the storm hits) has to stay over and work past their hours. If you are scheduled to work, WORK! No ifs, ands, or buts.
. However, I am not going out of my way to rent a motel/hotel room, sleep at a stranger's house, or drive through a blizzard with zero visibility. What? Now, I WILL stay over if I am asked to and I WILL leave an hour or so early to make it in; however, I WILL NOT go to work 24 hours in advance for my shift. Sorry, but no.
PacoUSA, BSN, RN
3,450 Posts
What is this thing called snow driving experience? It's not like we trained for it like NASCAR or anything ...
... Just drive slow and vigilantly, that's all.
And guess what? My tires, they are all-weather, purchased in FLORIDA! No problems driving in snow or ice here in the northeast :)
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