Snow emergency excuse?

[BeenThereDoneThat74]

so, here in nyc, we're expecting a big one this weekend. my friend is working tomorrow night, and is anticipating a problem getting in to work already (they're saying it's going to be at it's worst during her commute in).

so here's my beef: although she is my good friend, she lives 35 miles from work, as do many of the others (some live further than that). i, on the other hand, live about 5 miles away. every winter, i hear about how these people can't get to work because of the snow, or their mother, father, husband or dog will not let them drive in the snow to work. am i the only one who feels that we, as health care professionals, have an obligation to get to work?? and also, isn't this something you need to consider when you decide to take a job that is so far from your home?? now, i'm talking about nyc/long island, where there is a hospital every 5 miles, not the boon docks (where some of you may be). and i'm also not talking about a school nurse job or a doctor's office, where no one would be there anyway if the weather is bad. it's a hospital, where sick people are, and will stay, until they get better.

i just can't bear to listen to the complaining anymore, especially when i don't agree with their rationale. i can get into an accident on my way in, too. i can't not say anything (i'm just not that type), so i know i'm not going to be popular when i get into work tonight. speaking of tonight, i'm working overnight. so my friend calls me up and says "they might start holding people over before it snows, so you might have to stay". my shift ends at 8 am, and the snow is supposed to begin in the afternoon. i can't imagine that they would hold the entire night shift over in anticipation for a storm.

[needs help]

I so agree with you. I live in South Carolina. We don't get as much snow & ice as New York ( I grew up in Mass and married a New Yorker) I live 50 miles from where I work in the boonies . Last year we had a HORRIBLE ice storm followed by snow the ice was (no joke) 1/2 inch solid on the roads. I worked 12 hour shifts three straight. In the afternoon after my first 12 hour shift(that had turned into 14) my husband received a call saying i needed to come into work early. well he knew better that to wake me early (ha ha)anyway when I got up I called work and was told that the disaster plan was in effect and all staff needed to come in early if there was going to be a problem getting in later. well everything looked fine where I lived but boy was it different on the way in. It usually takes me 1 hour to get to work that trip was 2 1/2 with an additional 20min to get up the hill at my hospital. I ended up working 20 hours because all l of the CNA's and most of the RN's called in. (many being closer) All of my night shift also went home. I agree if I made it in at 15 mph for 50miles those that live 2-20 miles could have at least tried! there were a few that did try and a few that made it in and all credit goes to them. good luck with your friend. She should stay at the Hospital and come in early if needbe. I as well as many others have done it!!!!!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i've been working as a nurse for 27 years, and somehow have always managed to make it to work during the snow emergencies. i've walked to work in a snowstorm -- only lived 2 miles away then. i've skiied to work -- 5 miles. everyone else had to stay overnight, but i got to go home at the end of my shift and ski 5 miles the other direction! once when i lived in seattle, i went to spokane to stay with friends for christmas and ended up driving 300 miles in a snowstorm to get to work for night shift christmas night! i left at 10am -- got there about 10pm. i was late, but i made it in! i got through snoqualamie pass just before they closed the pass!

[color=#2f4f4f]i'm always amazed, though, at how many people don't even try. there's always an excuse. "i have young children and i can't leave them." "i don't have 4wd." "i live so far away!" "i can't get out of my driveway." (this from someone who hadn't even left her couch yet.) it's the work ethic thing. either you have it or you don't. i wish there was some way to legislate work ethic . . . maybe i'd get to go home at the end of my shift!

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[luvrn]

I am wondering what the single parents did when they work 7-3p, storm comes in, and they mandated you to stay, no family in area, child in daycare that will close, how have you handled that??? Daycare isn't staying open, you don't know anybody.....and manager doesn't care its not her problem....

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i am wondering what the single parents did when they work 7-3p, storm comes in, and they mandated you to stay, no family in area, child in daycare that will close, how have you handled that??? daycare isn't staying open, you don't know anybody.....and manager doesn't care its not her problem....

i've worked in hospitals that had on-site day care for children (and elders) for snow emergencies. no day care for pets, though. and i've worked places where there was no day care . . . nurses got together and helped each other out. a nurse who wanted to be able to go home at the end of her shift volunteered her teenaged daughter to babysit for a couple of moms on the next shift. a nurse who had 4wd gave another nurse a ride to work, and the second nurse's husband watched both sets of kids. if there's warning that a storm is coming, there's time to work something out. i can understand if child care plans fall through. what i don't understand is someone who won't even bother to try to work something out.

[crazyearrings]

all the 'big ones' have been on weekends or holidays,

Has anyone else noticed that? The year I lived in Indiana, we had blizzards 3 out of 4 weekends one January. Every Friday, the grocery stores were emptied as people prepared for spending a weekend stranded inside (my pre-nursing days). I live in Oklahoma now, where 2 inches can paralyze the city. Blizzards are still on the weekends (which I work), but tornadoes come mid-week (which I don't work). Pick your poison.

[FNimuaeMae]

Never had any problems getting to work, when I lived one mile away, or 8 miles away or the 30 minutes plus that I have now. When I lived in Massachusetts, if you couldn't get to work with your own car they would call the state police to come pick you up and bring you to work. No way to get home, but you got into work one way or another. I think it was 2 years ago there was a big storm for Xmas eve, well, I planned ahead and brought my dog to my moms who lived 2 minutes away from work, and both my roommate (who I picked up at another facility) and I went there for Xmas day and to sleep after the nite shift. No excuses not to get to work unless there are major trees down and no way whatsoever to get out!

Missy

[Jamesdotter]

Working OB, I was always amazed-and amused- that although the staff might not be able to make it, they said, but the patients always seemed to!

[hmcna]

The only time i have any problem at all is when its ice.... i mean like an ice storm, and the public works guys have not gotten the salt out yet.

However now that i'm working in a situation where its not imperrative for me to go in....

now i don't go in, when its icey....

But it used to tick me off that i'd drive 3 - 30 miles to my job, and yet people who lived around the corner could not make it.

[underwatergirl]

Hey I agree that it is each person's responsibility to get to work no matter what. In fact I lived in Wisconsin upto a year ago. I never once called in and said I couldn't come in because of snow...I called to say I was late and what not. One time I was 4 hours late cause I went into a ditch..I just worked later. The majority of my working career I lived 30min to an hour form my location of employeement.

Now those patients need us, there is not doubt about that. But here is a thought for you. A nurse I knew...attempted to get to work, she couldn't make it thru the drifts, she called the DON who said she comes in or she is fired. So she attempted to get to work, one of the road she had to take was straight and flat with farm fields on each side...the road closes often for snow drifts and white outs. Well she was driving slow, four wheel drive, I think she told me she was doing like 30mph. A snow drift came hit her truck into a telephone pole. She was paralized for life. Did that DON pay her disability? No of course not she wasn't at work...now this nurse can't walk, hard to get a job, luckly she did find one, but the fact remains...that DON was fired and sued for her threatening employeement during unsafe driving conditions. She ended up helping that nurse out.

So now I have to ask you, do you think you help a patient if you are killed on your way to work? Or you can't work as a nurse any longer. We are nurses that is fine and dandy but we are human's and we have families and lives we must take into consideration.

I would rather be mandated to stay late than know a nurse died trying to get to work.

Just thoughts for ponder!

[SmilingBluEyes]

Hey I agree that it is each person's responsibility to get to work no matter what. In fact I lived in Wisconsin upto a year ago. I never once called in and said I couldn't come in because of snow...I called to say I was late and what not. One time I was 4 hours late cause I went into a ditch..I just worked later. The majority of my working career I lived 30min to an hour form my location of employeement.

Now those patients need us, there is not doubt about that. But here is a thought for you. A nurse I knew...attempted to get to work, she couldn't make it thru the drifts, she called the DON who said she comes in or she is fired. So she attempted to get to work, one of the road she had to take was straight and flat with farm fields on each side...the road closes often for snow drifts and white outs. Well she was driving slow, four wheel drive, I think she told me she was doing like 30mph. A snow drift came hit her truck into a telephone pole. She was paralized for life. Did that DON pay her disability? No of course not she wasn't at work...now this nurse can't walk, hard to get a job, luckly she did find one, but the fact remains...that DON was fired and sued for her threatening employeement during unsafe driving conditions. She ended up helping that nurse out.

So now I have to ask you, do you think you help a patient if you are killed on your way to work? Or you can't work as a nurse any longer. We are nurses that is fine and dandy but we are human's and we have families and lives we must take into consideration.

I would rather be mandated to stay late than know a nurse died trying to get to work.

Just thoughts for ponder!

bravo! i agree.

[RN4NICU, LPN, LVN]

Now those patients need us, there is not doubt about that. But here is a thought for you. A nurse I knew...attempted to get to work, she couldn't make it thru the drifts, she called the DON who said she comes in or she is fired. So she attempted to get to work, one of the road she had to take was straight and flat with farm fields on each side...the road closes often for snow drifts and white outs. Well she was driving slow, four wheel drive, I think she told me she was doing like 30mph. A snow drift came hit her truck into a telephone pole. She was paralized for life. Did that DON pay her disability? No of course not she wasn't at work...now this nurse can't walk, hard to get a job, luckly she did find one, but the fact remains...that DON was fired and sued for her threatening employeement during unsafe driving conditions. She ended up helping that nurse out.

They should print that one in the nursing management journals. Maybe it would get some of these managers to think twice before they whip out the threats. If they don't care that their staff could be permanently injured (and some very obviously don't), maybe the fact that if something happens, their own careers and financial stability could take a hit will change their minds. OTOH, the nurse managers that don't give a crap probably dont read the journals. :angryfire

[adria37]

It is all well and good getting to work. I agree but I do not think that a person's life is worth getting in to the hospital. A nurse lost his life a few years ago going to work and hit a patch of ice, he died in a single car accident. I now use my own judgement about when and when I can not make it.

Adria