Thanks for the responses Snow Bound Nurses

[misslav]

Thanks for the response.

I have three other resonses from different states.

It is worth knowing that despite of distance we basically have the same

practices and strategies when it comes to snow strom and staffing. Just

like most of your facilities, in order to get staff to work during snow days,

we provide free meals, free sleeping accomodations, even provide toilet

articles and fresh scrubs for those who didn't bring in their personal stuff.

Also over time pay. For those who called in and did not show up for work,

we tell them that they will be without pay for the day and that we do not

accept "snow bound" call-in unless the roads are TOTALLY closed. Most

of our senior nurses and the leadership would start to travel with their

bags ready to stay before the road gets too bad. Despite of all our

inscentives, staffing remains to be very difficult during snow storms. I

always wonder what it is like for those nurses who live in Alaska and

other heavily snowed state other than where I live [NY, NJ]. What I was

tryinjg to say was, if you live in a snow bound area like NY and NJ, there

will always be snow and that the staff are expected to come, and that this

is a way of life for them. Please tell me if you have other suggestions.

Misslav `x]

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I actually lived in the interior of Alaska for two years. I went to school while there too - 110 miles one way three times/week. (I was younger then - lol). Anyway, I never once didn't make it because of snow. People would have laughed at me! However, I was very careful - started out very early, had plenty of food/water, warm clothes, a two-way radio (before we had cell phones) and my hubby knew where I was going and I always checked in. I just never considered NOT going.