The every year Snow thread

Editorial Team / Admin · Jan 19, 2016

My coworkers are already making plans for this weekend on call- the one who lives farthest away and drives a little car will likely stay with the one who lives closest and drives a big-@@@ truck. Then they can drive in together.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jan 19, 2016

Nooooooooooooooooooo! Not the Snow Thread!

This is not a "snow" thread. OP is requesting help with " how the hell do I get to work in an emergent situation."

OP is considered essential personnel. It is up to the powers that be, to get the essential personnel on site.. safely.

Been there, did that.

deflowerkidRN · Jan 19, 2016

I am looking at this weekends weather the same way. I'm not sure yet what to do. I might need to get a hotel room. I'm hoping they down shift the expectations of snow. We are supposed to get 12-24 inches.

canigraduate · Jan 19, 2016

Nooooooooooooooooooo! Not the Snow Thread!

It's so much fun, though.

Not quite as entertaining as the flu thread, but still...

I wonder if vitamin C melts snow?

Dobie53 · Jan 19, 2016

I, too, lived with that fear every winter. I had a very steep, long mountain that could not be avoided. One thing I did was get an all wheel drive SUV. Another way I judged my chances at the end of the shift was if other outliers made it in. In the am, I would start out, and if it was really bad, call and tell staffing I would be late, and wait for daylight. Sometimes I made some bad choices, but never had an accident, got stuck once for 10 hours when a truck rolled over. But in 24 yrs of nursing, always about 20 miles away, I only missed one day due to a blizzard. And I always went home! LOL! I can only sleep in my own bed. But everyone has to make that call, what's best for you. I did have self sufficient teenagers at home. Now that I'm retired, that winter fear is one of the few things I don't miss! Good luck!

SC_RNDude · Jan 19, 2016

I live where it snows frequently, and I drive 25 miles each way. My plan for snow days is 1) make sure I have good tires 2) make sure to know when it will snow so that 3) I can wake up and leave early.

If you live in a snowy environment, you really need to go out and practice driving in the snow. Go during non-rush hour, or find an empty parking lot and make try braking fast, or making sharp turns, etc. so you see what your car does in those conditions.

BTW, it's silly to expect your employer to put you up for the night or to not expect you to work.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Jan 19, 2016

My employer's policy on snow days is that if you call out on a snow day you get terminated. Even if it's the first time you've called out; even if this is your first offense of any kind. Of course, it's at the manager's discretion whether an employee actually loses his/her job or not, but it is certainly a big enough stick held over our heads that people come in to work.

I had to stay until almost 0930 once waiting for a coworker to drive in - she lived 100 miles away and ran off the icy roads something like four or five times during her trip to work. She eventually made it in because she had a bag of cat litter in her car so she could give herself some traction whenever she got stuck. I think if I had to endure that kind of hardship I might be okay with losing a job, personally.

Fortunately, big snows are rare here. We got almost an inch on Sunday morning that was entirely melted by noon. Hopefully all the rest of this year's snows follow a similar pattern.

40thEditionRN · Jan 19, 2016

This post makes me SO glad I take public transportation (although this can pose problems with weather delays) and also SO glad that I work a school schedule. If school is cancelled or delayed, I am cancelled or delayed. Takes such a huge anxiety away.

hawaiicarl, BSN, RN · Jan 19, 2016

Haven't seen snow in 15 years, sucks to live in Hawaii. :cheeky:

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Jan 19, 2016

I plan on making staying at work if able or a hotel. Every year I plan on coming to working. I just dread it and complain but I'll be there! Thanks for all the replies....

JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN · Jan 19, 2016

Last year, I stayed at a friend's house that was walking distance to the hospital. She worked the night shift, I came in for day shift so the bed didn't even have a chance to get cold :sarcastic:

That was only because I had a 45 minute commute. Back before I moved, I lived a little closer and I used to just chance it in the snow. I bought a Subaru that's amazing in bad weather, gave myself a lot of time and went carefully. I never called out for weather and had a huge problem with people who did. I went to work the night Sandy struck the Jersey shore and the two nights following. With my manager calling me at 1400 reminding me "you are expected to be here tonight."

If I can do that, I can do anything.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jan 19, 2016

And snow tires....definitely invest. The first time it snowed after I bought my Ford Focus I couldn't even get out of my driveway because it had a slight incline and a lip at the top. Tried multiple times, putting gravel down, getting pushed etc. I went and spent $600 on a set of Michelin X-Ice tires and I swear I felt like I was in a Jeep. Never had a problem again. Now I have an AWD SUV but I still miss those tires. I used to change them out twice a year...once in April and once in October. I had one summer set and one winter set that lasted twice as long.