Weather Policy

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Does your hospital have a weather policy? If so, is it lenient? Do you ever feel like you have really sacrificed your safety to make it into work out of guilt?

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Management lies and says it's all about patients. They prey on the nursing instinct to care, guilting them into risking their lives. The reality is it has nothing to do with patients and everything to do with money. They're not going to let a patient die because the nurse didn't show up...they just would have to call in another nurse who lives close by and has a truck with snow tires....which means possibly overtime pay.

I'm sick of the dollar dictating all decisions. I'm a human being and my life matters, and I will never risk it to save the hospitals some cash.

And where do these mythical "extra nurses with trucks that have snow tires and live close to the hospital" come from? Even if they do exist, why should someone who isn't scheduled to work be mandated because someone else won't make the effort to get to work? As the PP outlined, people got to work ahead of the storm so they could be on time and ready to go when it was time to work.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Quality & Risk.
I work at a hospital in suburban Atlanta and we have an inclement weather policy. If a code white is called staff is called and asked to come in before the storm hits or gets bad. You are expected to be at work for your scheduled shift(s). If you choose to not come in to stay or sleep at the hospital, then you are expected to come in to work, regardless of the conditions of the roads. I know in the past if you called out due to bad weather, then they really haven't done anything punitive but they might this time around. If it's the same day as your shift, you are paid call pay for the hours you come in before your shift. If you sleep over before or after your shift, you are paid double call pay for those hours. You are given 2 meal vouchers (worth $5) per 24 hours stayed at the hospital. I was scheduled to work Tuesday from 7p-7a. Code white was called as of 5am Tuesday and we got calls about it on Monday. I went in to work around 2pm to wait for my shift to start, as the bad weather hadn't started and got call pay for those hours. I worked my shift Tuesday night and slept Wednesday until I worked Wednesday 7p-7a and got paid double call pay for those sleeping hours. The worst part of the storm was Wednesday and our building (Womens services) had 96 employees sleeping over. We slept in patient rooms (with no patients in them, obviously) and some people slept in conference rooms. Our departments were fully staffed and it went quite smoothly and we actually set a record of 28 deliveries in 24 hours! I heard that employees who called out at any point during the storm were required to come in and work on Friday for people who had been there for the duration of the storm. We had several people who had stayed at the hospital starting on Monday and left on Thursday, when the temperature was above freezing, so while it was slushy, the roads were ok to drive on. I actually slept for a few hours after my shift ended on Thursday morning, after waking I went outside and spent the better part of an hour chipping ice off of my car and drove home. The roads were slushy but not bad at all and I drive a small car that is not 4WD. I think that my hospital's policy for code white is fair. I know other metro hospitals will put their employees up in hotels that are close to the hospital. I also heard that one hospital pays premium pay for those working during code white. A few other hospitals mandate people to work the shifts while they are there, regardless of whether they are actually scheduled or not and are not allowed to leave until the code white is called off, I think in part to make it so people don't have to travel during inclement weather. At my hospital, or at least my unit, we are required to work our scheduled shifts and are required to be here period, no matter what. Obviously if your house was burned down or something similar to that, then the call out wouldn't be considered to be bad but we were given plenty of advance warning of what the expectations were and told what they needed us to do. If you chose not to do this, then you ran the risk of punishment. I do know that on Thursday morning, my charge nurse told me that if anyone planned to stay over on Thursday night, then everyone would be moved out of patient rooms and everyone would have to sleep in this huge conference room that we have on cots and mats. The reason why is because we had no patient rooms left and needed the rooms for patients so employees couldn't continue sleeping in the patient rooms. I wasn't scheduled to work on Thursday night but was on Friday night, so if I had been unable to get home on Thursday, I would have gone to a local hotel (across the street from the hospital) and rented a room, as I was not planning to sleep in a conference room with 50+ of my co-workers and fight for showers in the changing room. Plus, there wouldn't have been any place for me to stay on Thursday night, since I wasn't working and I didn't want to just hang around work for 12 hours. Thankfully, I was able to get home but I would've rented a room in a minute if I hadn't been able to get home.[/quote']

Sounds like your hospital has it together. It'd be nice if OP's did, considering she's in an area where bad weather occurs regularly in the winter (of course, that's probably why they don't- it's expected). Double call pay is pretty sweet. They did what they knew they had to do to keep it running and it sounds like they did well with it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
And I'm sick of people who choose to live far away from work using it as an excuse not to come into work. It was their choice to live that far away and using it as a cop out to call in is bs. Why should it all lie on the people who live closer? Why should they be punished because the others won't get off their butt to come in? Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

On the surface it may be a nurses' "choice" to live far away from their hospital, but you need to get over that and move on. In my town, there are two hospitals. Two. And neither one was hiring. The nearest from that are over an hour away and WE OWN our home. So when an offer presented itself for me to work for a hospital with a less than desirable commute, as a new nurse with LOAN DEBT, I thought: "Gee, can I really afford to be picky right now?" And ultimately, no. I couldn't.

And as a result, if weather conditions are so dangerous that I can't even safely do 5MPH to work, I shouldn't be browbeat for it. End of story.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
Sounds like your hospital has it together. It'd be nice if OP's did considering she's in an area where bad weather occurs regularly in the winter (of course, that's probably why they don't- it's expected). Double call pay is pretty sweet. They did what they knew they had to do to keep it running and it sounds like they did well with it.[/quote']

You're right. If this type of policy existed for my hospital, this would be an easy solution to the weather problem. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Inclement weather renders the "suck it up" mentality, and we are actually told to make our own arrangements on our dollar to get to work. And I am not, I repeat NOT, going to pay for hotel on my dollar. The town I work in is a tourist town and the hotel costs are ASTRONOMICAL. As a result, I don't mind coming in a little early if it gets me there safe, but again, if I can't even drive 5MPH safely ... there's a problem.

The last time we had hard weather hit, not only did a car coming towards me clip my car and cause it to fishtail into a guardrail, but I also got stuck in a ditch with no cell service on my way in because I was told I "need to get here." It cost me $5000 damage to my car and $350 in two fees and I still had to drive into work, being late, and missing a half day of pay.

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You're right. If this type of policy existed for my hospital, this would be an easy solution to the weather problem. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Inclement weather renders the "suck it up" mentality, and we are actually told to make our own arrangements on our dollar to get to work. And I am not, I repeat NOT, going to pay for hotel on my dollar. The town I work in is a tourist town and the hotel costs are ASTRONOMICAL. As a result, I don't mind coming in a little early if it gets me there safe, but again, if I can't even drive 5MPH safely ... there's a problem.

The last time we had hard weather hit, not only did a car coming towards me clip my car and cause it to fishtail into a guardrail, but I also got stuck in a ditch with no cell service on my way in because I was told I "need to get here." It cost me $5000 damage to my car and $350 in two fees and I still had to drive into work, being late, and missing a half day of pay.

Stop defending yourself. Nurses love beating each other down, with whoever is the most sacrificial coming out on top. To many people here, you're supposed to eat, breathe, and sleep nursing. Don't ever show discontent, and take whatever management and your hospital slings at you. If you complain, you are a whiny new grad or need to find a different career.

It's pathetic really. In any other profession, no one acts this way. I come from a family of teachers and physicians, and in both cases they would 100% call in if unsafe, no questions asked. And you know what, their coworkers would understand and support the decision, as would their employer.

nurses have unsafe and poor working conditions because their attitudes reflect this thread. They don't support each other. They suck up whatever is thrown at them and rather than support those who stand up for their rights, they bring them down. Don't try to explain yourself, just realize that in nursing, you will never have backup when you speak out.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Stop defending yourself. Nurses love beating each other down, with whoever is the most sacrificial coming out on top. To many people here, you're supposed to eat, breathe, and sleep nursing. Don't ever show discontent, and take whatever management and your hospital slings at you. If you complain, you are a whiny new grad or need to find a different career.

It's pathetic really. In any other profession, no one acts this way. I come from a family of teachers and physicians, and in both cases they would 100% call in if unsafe, no questions asked. And you know what, their coworkers would understand and support the decision, as would their employer.

nurses have unsafe and poor working conditions because their attitudes reflect this thread. They don't support each other. They suck up whatever is thrown at them and rather than support those who stand up for their rights, they bring them down. Don't try to explain yourself, just realize that in nursing, you will never have backup when you speak out.

Nurses support or teach other when they show up for work as scheduled so their colleagues can go home. I'm sorry you're having so much difficulty understanding that.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
Nurses support or teach other when they show up for work as scheduled so their colleagues can go home. I'm sorry you're having so much difficulty understanding that.

*I'm* not that kind of nurse. I don't conditionally support someone when it benefits me. If someone is having difficulty, I support them. Period. End of story.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
*I'm* not that kind of nurse. I don't conditionally support someone when it benefits me. If someone is having difficulty, I support them. Period. End of story.

No one is saying that about YOU...the point being, expecting ones nursing peers to exercise accountability and responsibility in making shift or plan ahead significantly-nurses plan for their pts btw-in order to make their shift; that is NOT bashing or being "insensitive" as another poster is implying :no:

I worked with a nurse who would travel 3 hours to work weekends; she would find a way when snow hit our area to make it to work AND stay at a hotel on her dime; I'm in a tourist area and where I worked at the time the hotels are at a ritzy and touristy (if this is a word) part of the city; she knew staying made up for the hours that she worked; plus it's tax deductible, so the money, including mileage, would be recouped. She stayed during a major snowstorm and made it; most of us made it, except for one who lived the closest; some brave waiting in below freezing for public transportation for and hour-2 hours, which can be just as unsafe as driving in snow.

I make it through snow; even if my intentions are good, I rather be late and relieve the person working than not come at all-I pack what I need-including change of clothes and always carry travel items just in case. I also pack snacks, food and beverages (water) so in case anything happens, I'm hydrated and fed. I have a big enough bag to carry the essentials and walk when necessary.

Tiny disasters such as snowstorms are a fact of life; there will be situations where the knowledge and use of disaster-planning techniques can go a long way in order to remain safe. :yes:

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Specializes in MICU - CCRN, IR, Vascular Surgery.
And I'm sick of people who choose to live far away from work using it as an excuse not to come into work. It was their choice to live that far away and using it as a cop out to call in is bs. Why should it all lie on the people who live closer? Why should they be punished because the others won't get off their butt to come in?

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

My town has 2 hospitals, one with less than 30 beds in it, and one that I used to work at, and wasn't able to transfer to the ICU. I chose to work 50 miles away and we own our house. I drive a sports car and haven't missed a single night of work due to the weather, and we've had > 53" of snow this winter already. I'm responsible and hold myself accountable to be to work, and be there early.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
*I'm* not that kind of nurse. I don't conditionally support someone when it benefits me. If someone is having difficulty, I support them. Period. End of story.

I'm not sure I understand what this has to do with supporting each other by showing up for work when scheduled.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
On the surface it may be a nurses' "choice" to live far away from their hospital, but you need to get over that and move on. In my town, there are two hospitals. Two. And neither one was hiring. The nearest from that are over an hour away and WE OWN our home. So when an offer presented itself for me to work for a hospital with a less than desirable commute, as a new nurse with LOAN DEBT, I thought: "Gee, can I really afford to be picky right now?" And ultimately, no. I couldn't.

And as a result, if weather conditions are so dangerous that I can't even safely do 5MPH to work, I shouldn't be browbeat for it. End of story.

So as I'm reading it, you chose to take the job an hour away because you had loan debt that you needed to repay. You CHOSE to take the job, knowing it was an hour away. I understand the the commute is not desirable and even less so in bad weather, but you did make choices.

Snowstorms, unlike tornadoes or earthquakes, rarely come out of the blue. You know it's coming and you can make plans to stay with a co-worker or in a Motel 6 at the edge of town if you don't want to pay for a pricey hotel room near the hospital. You can make plans to rent the pricey hotel room with other nurses. Maybe there's a B & B that would love to have some business in the wintertime, or would give nurses a good deal under the circumstances.

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I'm sick of the dollar dictating all decisions. I'm a human being and my life matters, and I will never risk it to save the hospitals some cash.

this! quoting because this is exactly how i feel but you already said it perfectly.

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