Weather Policy

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 13, 2014

I've only had to call out twice for snow and that was because I couldn't get out of my neighborhood. Today was the second time. A couple things I find interesting about this thread, though, is the judgmental posts by some. One of the arguments is if you choose to live in an area known for bad weather, you should make it to work. With the economy being what it is, some posters may not have had a choice and when they relocated to take their job they may have been more concerned with paying their bills than whether it was going to snow this year.
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So you're saying that someone kidnapped them and transplanted them to a job in an area where there was snow! Oh my GOD! I didn't know that was happening!

Even if the economy was bad and jobs are difficult to find, moving to an area with snow for a job is still CHOOSING to live there. Unless of course you were kidnapped . . .

Do-over, ASN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

So you're saying that someone kidnapped them and transplanted them to a job in an area where there was snow! Oh my GOD! I didn't know that was happening!
Even if the economy was bad and jobs are difficult to find, moving to an area with snow for a job is still CHOOSING to live there. Unless of course you were kidnapped . . .

I choose to blame my mom - for giving birth to me in the frozen northlands....

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 13, 2014

People keep whining that the HOSPITAL should have a plan for staffing during bad weather. They do. The schedule is made and posted and it's your responsibility to show up as scheduled.

Personal responsibility, folks. YOU need to have a bad weather plan, and if that entails spending (gasp!) your own money on a motel room or coming to work hours (gasp!) early to ensure that you're there in time to relieve your coworkers, then that's what you do.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

Personal responsibility, folks. YOU need to have a bad weather plan, and if that entails spending (gasp!) your own money on a motel room or coming to work hours (gasp!) early to ensure that you're there in time to relieve your coworkers, then that's what you do.

Hotel and lodging for employment IS tax deductible.

himilayaneyes · Feb 13, 2014

I live in sunny So Fla but we do get the occasional hurricane. Most jobs have a policy that nursing must still report to work. Team A works during the hurricane and must report to work before the hurricane. Team B works after the hurricane.

ktwlpn, LPN · Feb 13, 2014

frankly, I'm a little off put the hospital doesn't care enough to consider that given the circumstance.
QUOTE]
I have never worked in any facility that did not have an inclement weather policy. If you call off you don't get paid, and if you call in sick you better have a doctor's note and even then it is up the the discretion of the dept head to allow you to use your sick time or not. Every weather event it's the same story-the same group makes arrangements to get there ahead of the storm and stays and works until they drop because another sorry group of our peers feels they are too special and precious to make the effort to show up.
In big events our admin provides a place for us to sleep and they feed us, too. If it's a true emergency they even pay us for our hours off the clock.
I don't care to hear any excuses because we did choose to work in health care.I don't care where you live, how many kids, pets you have, what kind of car you drive.You are responsible for making arrangements. We should make arrangements to get there even if we have to arrive 12 hours ahead of our scheduled shift. And because of the people who don't make an effort you had better be prepared to stay and keep working.
We have a duty ,a morale obligation to show up and care for people who can't care for themselves.
What if you are a patient yourself- maybe in L/D delivering your first baby and no-one showed up? Or your husband is in a med/surg bed or an elderly parent is in a nursing home. YOU WOULD EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM THEIR CAREGIVERS. (and don't worry about that class,it's sure to be cancelled)

pookyp, LPN · Feb 13, 2014

I'm on south Florida and every hurricane season we have a list of who stays over night For a double and who stays days for a double. Also if said person works 4 nights straight due to the storm and stays at the hospital 4 days, the staff who didn't have to work 4 days straight has to let those people go home and get rest. And works 4 days straight through. We also had arrangements to bring your family and they could have stayed the night as well. Most times the family stayed home but there was an option. I don't know if you guys up north do anything like this, if not you should. It runs smoothly.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

I would think that every single hospital has an inclement weather and/or disaster policy in place, regardless of where that hospital is located. Adverse weather affects us adversely, regardless of what KIND of adversity it is.

That said, I too live in the northeast, and I am posting this while at work. My region is getting NAILED with snow, and will continue to get hammered (building metaphors galor today!) until tomorrow morning sometime.

What to do? Well, for starters I left quit early this morning, allowing an additional 45 minutes onto my normal drive time. My commute? Normally it's about an hour and a quarter, over sixty miles one way, no short trip I assure you. I got to work right on time, because I planned ahead and LEFT EARLY.

Tonight, when my workday is done, instead of going home I'll be staying over at the hospital; if it's just too crowded for my liking I can choose a motel. I'm not eager to spend the $$, however, so I'll accept the tight accomodations! WHY am I staying over? So I don't have a white-knuckle drive on the way home, only to have another 2-hour drive back tomorrow morning.

I brought an overnight bag with me to work today. I will be using it. And I WON'T be missing work because of weather, even though it's a nasty storm. That's MY Winter Weather Policy!

As for those who call in.....if you're sick, and call in sick, so be it. You have used sick time. If you can't make it (presumably don't try?) because of weather, you don't get to use vacation time....it's an "unapproved absence" or AWOL, so.....too bad. If you're a repeater with sick time, you can also have that restricted to require a doctor's note for every absence for a specified period of time, so that's not a good 'weather plan".

It snows here. I work. I drive. Plan ahead.

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

I'm disgusted by the number of "I'm up here on my golden pedestal" posts. As if those that express concern or frustration (and even fear) are inherently worthy of shaming, and should self-flagellate as penance.

All it does is contribute to the punitive, fear-based culture of nursing.

That said, I'm in the camp that says "get to work," especially in this day and age of long range weather forecasting. However, I'm also very sympathetic for those that are faced with the hassle and stress. We as nurses are in a unique position requiring that we "put aside our own needs and comfort" for the needs of others. It is what it is, but it doesn't mean we have to beat each other over the head with it.

The better approaches are the respectful, helpful posts I've seen here.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

I'm disgusted by the number of "I'm up here on my golden pedestal" posts. As if those that express concern or frustration (and even fear) are inherently worthy of shaming, and should self-flagellate as penance.
All it does is contribute to the punitive, fear-based culture of nursing.
That said, I'm in the camp that says "get to work," especially in this day and age of long range weather forecasting. However, I'm also very sympathetic for those that are faced with the hassle and stress.
****We as nurses are in a unique position requiring that we "put aside our own needs and comfort" for the needs of others. It is what it is, *****but it doesn't mean we have to beat each other over the head with it.
The better approaches are the respectful, helpful posts I've seen here.

The issue is that people sometimes DO need a "moment" even if it appears to be "beat upon the head" with the fact that nursing, for the most part, is 24/7; that's FACT, not demoralizing, and abusive or punitive. :no:

Anyone who feels guilted should not :no: ; however, when a facility does NOT have a plan in place-in

one facility that I work at plans on the fly and is VERY limited in the help of at least getting people; sometimes they cannot-sometimes people are limited; that doesn't mean that the responsibility-a HUGE part of our practice-goes by the way side. Nurses plan-and part of our practice; we can plan ahead or choose not to; it one choose not to and them have some form of "guilt"-that's on the NURSE, not the "profession". :no:

If they don't, then more power to them.

OCNRN63, RN · Feb 13, 2014

Interesting points. I ask because tomorrow's forecast is predicted about 14" of snow. And I reside about 90 minutes door-to-door from my hospital. I also drive a 4-door sedan.
And my hospital has made it abundantly clear that weather is NOT an acceptable call-out excuse.

Then you go in early before it starts if you're scheduled to work. Take scrubs, toiletries, blankets, pillow, etc.

OCNRN63, RN · Feb 13, 2014

I suppose those are viable options, though I disagree I should have to pay for a hotel room on my dime simply because my hospital has a "zero tolerance" call out on weather emergencies.
As for a co-worker's house, not a bad idea until you factor in whether or not they have room, are they in town or outskirts (accessibility of their house), and given the fact that I have class in the AM about 90 minutes from the county where I work. It's just a mess!

Then stay home.