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.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
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.
Yes, people travel to work in a raging blizzard out of a sense of duty. I've done it because I wasn't astute enough to plan ahead to be AT work ahead of the storm. I'm sorry that you don't believe it.
Specializes in Neurosciences, stepdown, acute rehab, LTC.
No real goal in my story, but we just got dumped like 2 feet of snow in 16 or something about a month ago. I just have a dog but my roommates were home so I stayed at a hotel. All places to sleep in my facility were full..
Had my elantra pushed out of the motel driveway the next morning when my friend called at 6AM "My car won't budge"! And I worked a 14 hour shift. It was totally crazy. A 3rd of nursing staff called out over the course of the day and most available employees worked 16s, Some punched out, slept, and punched back in again 8 hours later. It was a 2 day affair. Thank goodness most of those who didn't show came and did long shifts the next day to relieve the rest of us... Really good teamwork, I think that was the main thing that kept us going, lots of support of one another. I don't have kids or even a long commute so I'm not the authority but I just think people should do the absolute best they can to get in or make a deal with someone else.
If you choose to have children AND work in a position where you're essential personnel, you need to have a plan for weather emergencies. This "I have kids and they need their Mom" business doesn't really fly. Or are you one of those who believes that people without kids should pick up all your slack?
You must have missed post #72
"I do not claim it is the people without kids responsibility to pick up the slack. What I am saying is that my children will always come first and I will always think of them before coworkers. You don't have to agree or like my opinion because it is just that my opinion. It is how I choose to operate. If its between a hospital or my kids then my kids will come first every single time. Luckily, I don't have to be concerned about unhappy coworkers any longer as I left the hospital setting. We are more used to hurricanes in my area and as I said I never missed working in a hurricane while plenty of folks with no kids sure did. I didn't get mad I simply did my job."
I called out today because I didn't feel that it was safe! The road on my street was horrible and I witnessed my neighbor struggling trying to get out of the neighborhood and he was in a big truck so I can imagine what it would have been for my car. I can always find another job, but I only have one life and I am not risking it. I watch the news and if I am told to please stay off the road because of hazardous conditions, I am listening. There has been a few times that I stayed two days on the job during snow storms. I didn't like it, but I was already there and didn't want my coworkers to risk their lives trying to get to work.
I called out today because I didn't feel that it was safe! The road on my street was horrible and I witnessed my neighbor struggling trying to get out of the neighborhood and he was in a big truck so I can imagine what it would have been for my car. I can always find another job, but I only have one life and I am not risking it. I watch the news and if I am told to please stay off the road because of hazardous conditions, I am listening. There has been a few times that I stayed two days on the job during snow storms. I didn't like it, but I was already there and didn't want my coworkers to risk their lives trying to get to work.
Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.
My hospital hopes for you to make special arrangements if there is bad weather expected. They have floors that don't normally house patients so they will give you one to sleep in if you come in early so you can be there.
I'm in Arkansas so I feel your pain.
And no they couldn't pretreat our roads because it was raining for several hours before the sleet began. Any treatment would have washed away. As OP said we got 2 inches or more of sleet along with several inches of snow. We have some plows and salt trucks but with the last round of ice one of the salt trucks even overturned a few miles from my house.
We don't deal with this stuff because it's only a few days (if that) out of the year.
"I do not claim it is the people without kids responsibility to pick up the slack. What I am saying is that my children will always come first and I will always think of them before coworkers. You don't have to agree or like my opinion because it is just that my opinion. It is how I choose to operate. If its between a hospital or my kids then my kids will come first every single time. Luckily, I don't have to be concerned about unhappy coworkers any longer as I left the hospital setting. We are more used to hurricanes in my area and as I said I never missed working in a hurricane while plenty of folks with no kids sure did. I didn't get mad I simply did my job."
When you do things like this, you are making it the responsibility of people without kids. That's fine if you think that (well, actually it's not, but that's another thread), but own it.
We can continue this debate but then is it the nurses with kids responsibility to work all the hurricanes because singles want to go to hurricane parties? Whatever, I worked and didn't begrudge single nurses. I will not allow anyone else to try to make me feel bad for putting my family first. They can't get another mother if I die while attempting to go to a hospital because you think I should dig out, swim, trek in snow shoes, or drive until I'm in a ditch. Not happening people. Oh and in case you're wondering nursing isn't "my calling" either. It's just a job that can be replaced lol.
We can continue this debate but then is it the nurses with kids responsibility to work all the hurricanes because singles want to go to hurricane parties? Whatever, I worked and didn't begrudge single nurses. I will not allow anyone else to try to make me feel bad for putting my family first. They can't get another mother if I die while attempting to go to a hospital because you think I should dig out, swim, trek in snow shoes, or drive until I'm in a ditch. Not happening people. Oh and in case you're wondering nursing isn't "my calling" either. It's just a job that can be replaced lol.
I frankly don't care about your family. I just think you're insulting our intelligence by talking out of both sides of your mouth.
I agree newboy...most won't travel in dangerous conditions. I love my residents but I love my kids and husband more. My family needs me just as I need them. I would be a fool to try and get to work after watching the news seeing cars flipped over on the road and in ditches. Nope not me, not doing it. I never call out from my job and try to be a dedicated worker and team player, but today was an exception. I listened to my inner voice this time and called out.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Its your responsibliety to get to work when scheduled. You need to make arrangments / take actions that will allow you to get to work reguardless of the weather. Here in the north we are expected to get to work during snowstorms. I don't know where you live but since you mentioned that you have never been scheduled to come in when it's snowing I assume that snow happens there. WHy have you failed to take this into consideration and not made plans to get to work?
I frankly don't care about your family. I just think you're insulting our intelligence by talking out of both sides of your mouth.
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.
Ruby Vee, BSN
17 Articles; 14,051 Posts
Yes, people travel to work in a raging blizzard out of a sense of duty. I've done it because I wasn't astute enough to plan ahead to be AT work ahead of the storm. I'm sorry that you don't believe it.