staying the night at work due to weather

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I live in md and we just had a blizzard and another storm on the way tomorrow. I missed work today due to not being able to get out of my complexbecause the roads weren't plowed. I been in the all weekend and have a terrible case of cabin fever. Anyway due to the next storm coming I thought it would be safe if I stay at work over night and I also plan to lend a hand if there are call outs. However I'm so nervous and know I will be extremly uncomfortable sleeping at work with my wandering alzheimers residents. Can't afford the hotel so I'm just going to have to get through.have anyone else had to stay overnight at work due to inclement weather? How did you make it? Were you allowed to sleep at all. And how did they pay you? Thanks

Specializes in being a Credible Source.
Times like this, I'm so happy I'm not a staff or hospital nurse. The thought of staying overnight in a hospital is one thing, but the thought of taking a shower in the hospital is another. ewww.
I actually keep a pair of flip-flops and a can of Lysol disinfectant just in case I decide to shower there.
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My hubby works at a hospital (he's not a nurse) and is on the "disaster driving" team. He grew up in the north and drove on lots of snow for years; that comes in handy when the weather is bad here in the South. The hospital issues 4 WD trucks and radios and he picks people up from their homes to bring to the hospital, drives some people home, drives other employees back and forth from area hotels, etc.

They have a good plan with local hotels offering the hospital big discounts for blocks of rooms that employees get almost free. For those like my hubby, a room, food, etc. is provided at a local inn just off the hospital campus. All key staff that are required to stay over their usual shifts (they can't leave if their replacements cannot make it in) are fed at no cost to them and are paid at their overtime rate.

Surely your hospital has a disaster plan in place (I'm sure that's a JC requirement) that you can review so you'll know better what to expect.

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

Yes, worked Friday evening and got snowed in! I knew they would ask me to stay so I packed clothes for the weekend with toiletries. I worked 56 hours.... just got home now!

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Specializes in ED, CTSurg, IVTeam, Oncology.

My institution has a snow contingency plan that provides a floor for staff nurses to stay during a snow in. Generally, a floor that has the lowest census is cleared out and housekeeping makes a sweep, cleaning all beds and linens. The semi private rooms are then assigned through the nursing supervisor (they don't care which room you sleep in, it's more so to ensure that they know how to look for someone if there's an emergency), and a security guard is posted to ensure that only staff members authorized to stay are allowed onto the floor. No other guests are permitted. Nurses are expected to clean up their own linens afterwards before the next "shift" of sleepers arrive. If you happen to be off duty, and they can't find anything for you to do or fill in, then you're welcome to sit in the cafeteria or staff lounge during your "normal" duty hours. So whether you're on duty or not, "days" people are up all day and "nights" people are up all night. Back in '96 during the height of a nasty Nor'easter, I did this shift bed thing for two nights. Not so bad, but I still would have rather been home. :yawn:

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Our hospital will put us up in a private room on one of the units or an on call room. The hospital room is much better. The duty rooms have zero amenities while the patient rooms have tv etc. Meal tickets are available if we are stranded d/t weather. (I have never needed it because if you go hungry in a hospital you aren't very ingenious.)

OT is paid if I work for coverage otherwise its hours worked.

I carry a jump bag because I commute 65 miles 1 way and it isn't convenient to run home.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

i'm probably going to be staying at the hospital until saturday -- a foot of snow on top of the 30 inches we already had, and i drive a prius. it's good in winter conditions, but doesn't have much clearance, and they don't plow here! i grew up in wisconsin, and the road crews went out as soon as the first snowflake appeared and kept plowing until it stopped. here, it stopped snowing on saturday, and they still hadn't plowed from that storm when this one started!

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I live in a state that occasionally gets snow. If we get winter weather it is more likely to be ice. The are many hills and bridges. The city has minimal equipment to clear the roads. A large percentage of staff live 30 minutes or more from work. Our policy states that if you are on call you have to be able to get to work in 30 minutes. We are to bring clothes, toiletries, linens (sheets, blankets, pillows) and food. And of course we are going to get paid only for the time that we will be doing patient care. Last year our unit was full so no arrangements were made for our nurses to sleep. Some of the nurses were able to unlock the PT gym and sleep on the hard exercise tables. Is this going a little far?

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