So we had a major ice storm last weekend, 2 inches of ice by morning, and 1st time in 20-odd years I can't get out of the driveway, roads are impassable in this rural area.
Apparently, 20 miles away at work it's just raining...for the time being. House says, well, nobody else has called to say they can't come in. If we need to, we'll send somebody to get you.
Well that didn't happen because there was so much ice on the roads out here that people died on the same highway they wanted me to drive to work on.
And oh, did I mention that you can't use PTO for calling due to weather emergencies (hell, the President deemed my area a disaster area), so I'm out a day's pay that I can't be compensated for...
What other "profession" has such inhumane expectations...hell no I'm not risking my very life for my employer, they already get enough of it sucked away every shift.
Specializes in ICU,PCU,ER, TELE,SNIFF, STEP DOWN PCT.
So we had a major ice storm last weekend, 2 inches of ice by morning, and 1st time in 20-odd years I can't get out of the driveway, roads are impassable in this rural area.
Apparently, 20 miles away at work it's just raining...for the time being. House says, well, nobody else has called to say they can't come in. If we need to, we'll send somebody to get you.
Well that didn't happen because there was so much ice on the roads out here that people died on the same highway they wanted me to drive to work on.
And oh, did I mention that you can't use PTO for calling due to weather emergencies (hell, the President deemed my area a disaster area), so I'm out a day's pay that I can't be compensated for...
What other "profession" has such inhumane expectations...hell no I'm not risking my very life for my employer, they already get enough of it sucked away every shift.
EMS, we go out in any weather and expected to do so. So When I have to go to work now in the hosp, and people say they can't make it. I am not as compassionate as others, I do not want to hear it. I tell them, what if you had a fire and we did not come? What if your child was coding and we did not come for "bad weather" I have had to go up and down stairs full of ice to get lil elderly people to the hospital, people who are sick and sliding on ice of car wrecks where I can barely stand. I think if I can for years make it to work, others can too. Yes people died on that highway, but what if the first responders felt the same way and did not go to work or even show up?
My hosp is the same way, I drove a hour and a half to get home in snow and sleet this morning. People often do not seem to care what they drive in to get home, but going to work is a different story.
Our hospital is actually renting 2 4WD vehicles and are coming to get people who say "They can't make it in" , as I am glad they are that way the staff that is left there do not have to cover for those who can't make it in. Also if I can ride with someone all the better. It is their fuel not mine if I choose to do so, and if the hosp is willing then so am I
I have an all-wheel drive vehicle (yeah Subaru!). Every year at my old job the head of security would send a letter to me requesting me to VOLUNTEER to drive out to pick up people who "couldn't make it in". They weren't going to pay me for my time, my gas or my insurance yet they wanted me to risk MY life on impassible roads. I always sent them an e-mail and told them to tell those people to get there own
i live in the south where thank goodness it snows every year or so. i live 50 miles from the workplace. it's mostly flat land but there are some gentle rolling hills. i have been stuck at work were everyone left-"oh i can drive in snow" and called in the next day "oh i can"t drive in snow."
you could see their houses from the back of the hospital.
i actually got a commendation for staying.
then coming in another day with 70 mph hurricaine hugo winds. it was eerie but the patients were there and i felt noble.
i got written up x 2 for being 40 minutes late, and for not calling...uh no electric lines, no telephone lines and the few cell towers here in the boonies were out.
i can see all 3 sides of a story here.
1 don't risk your life,
2 don't risk your life,
3 don't risk your life and
4.............your life is precious even if not considered so by management.
I live in Oklahoma City where I was without power or heat or much food for close to 5 days because of this ice storm--I still have friends who are going without heat or power for 6 days now--it's currently 22 degrees outside AND inside. I understand. I'm not leaving my kids at home in a literally freezing house with no food just to go to work, sorry, my family comes first. No schools are open, no grocery stores, no walmart, no fast food, no nothing was open those first couple of days. You couldn't even get gas because the pumps run on electric.
Driving in sleet or snow is one thing, this wasn't just snow or sleet or our usual ice (us Okies can and do drive on ice every single year, because we don't get a lot of snow, but a lot of ice), this storm was BEYOND anything I have seen or been through in my life! All wheel drive vehicle's don't help when driving on ice anyways, I got stuck last year in my AWD, it does help with snow though.
EMS, we go out in any weather and expected to do so. So When I have to go to work now in the hosp, and people say they can't make it. I am not as compassionate as others, I do not want to hear it. I tell them, what if you had a fire and we did not come? What if your child was coding and we did not come for "bad weather" I have had to go up and down stairs full of ice to get lil elderly people to the hospital, people who are sick and sliding on ice of car wrecks where I can barely stand. I think if I can for years make it to work, others can too. Yes people died on that highway, but what if the first responders felt the same way and did not go to work or even show up?
My hosp is the same way, I drove a hour and a half to get home in snow and sleet this morning. People often do not seem to care what they drive in to get home, but going to work is a different story.
Our hospital is actually renting 2 4WD vehicles and are coming to get people who say "They can't make it in" , as I am glad they are that way the staff that is left there do not have to cover for those who can't make it in. Also if I can ride with someone all the better. It is their fuel not mine if I choose to do so, and if the hosp is willing then so am I
Emergency crews were not able to get to a lot of people or houses because of how bad this particular storm was just FYI--we had live downed power lines EVERYWHERE and that is one of the major problems. This isn't just snow or even our usual ice that we get every year (us Okies know ice because that is mainly what we seem to get with winter storms), this is a disaster area. A lot of cars were trapped under trees that fell, I had a tree fall through my roof in the middle of the night (a HUGE cottonwood). I have a 9 and a 6 year old, I'm not leaving them in a literally freezing house with no food or electricity (where else could they go????) to go to work.
Driving is sleet or snow isn't a big deal I agree (just go slow), this wasn't even close though.
This truly sucks. I remember ice storms in Oklahoma when I lived there. I don't have that problem currently as I live in an area that has 3 seasons, hot, hotter, hottest. We are in hot mode on this balmy 83 degree day in Florida. Come move to Florida, you will never have a reason to call in for weather, except in a hurricane, PLUS you will never lack a job in the hospital as everyone is moving here as well...
you must live inland, lol. i just moved from southeast FL to NC. you CANNOT call in sick for a hurricane! that is instant termination! i lived in a coastal town which was the port of direct impact for Frances, Jeanne and Wilma. We had A and B teams... the A team stayed in the hospital (which is what i was on) for about 7 days at a time, bring your kids, husbands and pets if you want to and be prepared to sleep on the floor while water is pouring in the window seams. during frances, we even ran out of food and ended up eating graham crackers and peanut butter for two days...no running water... no showers... no flushing toilets...and both of our generators blew when a tree fell through them and we lost power for TWENTY FOUR HOURS. every ACLS certified person was teamed up with another person and assigned a vented patient to bag until the power went on... i had a flash light in my mouth while bagging a vented patient for hours!! The B team arrives after the "all-clear" is called for emergency and health care workers, and god forbid you didnt want to drive your little car through 9 feet of water with palm trees floating in it or leave your kids at home with no electricity.... instant termination. there was one lady i worked with who was B team (she was my relief actually, which is why i was there for 8 days) who had two elderly parents, dad had alzheimers..no running water or electricity..and they fired her because she refused to come in and leave them at home and B team is not permitted to bring family.
i understand hospital poilcy for disasters. i know people are in need of 24/7 care. whatever. but when it comes to my life and my safety or my family's safety....if i cant get there... too bad... how do you expect me to take care of patients if i die on the way there? :trout:
you must live inland, lol. i just moved from southeast FL to NC. you CANNOT call in sick for a hurricane! that is instant termination! i lived in a coastal town which was the port of direct impact for Frances, Jeanne and Wilma. We had A and B teams... the A team stayed in the hospital (which is what i was on) for about 7 days at a time, bring your kids, husbands and pets if you want to and be prepared to sleep on the floor while water is pouring in the window seams. during frances, we even ran out of food and ended up eating graham crackers and peanut butter for two days...no running water... no showers... no flushing toilets...and both of our generators blew when a tree fell through them and we lost power for TWENTY FOUR HOURS. every ACLS certified person was teamed up with another person and assigned a vented patient to bag until the power went on... i had a flash light in my mouth while bagging a vented patient for hours!! The B team arrives after the "all-clear" is called for emergency and health care workers, and god forbid you didnt want to drive your little car through 9 feet of water with palm trees floating in it or leave your kids at home with no electricity.... instant termination. there was one lady i worked with who was B team (she was my relief actually, which is why i was there for 8 days) who had two elderly parents, dad had alzheimers..no running water or electricity..and they fired her because she refused to come in and leave them at home and B team is not permitted to bring family.
i understand hospital poilcy for disasters. i know people are in need of 24/7 care. whatever. but when it comes to my life and my safety or my family's safety....if i cant get there... too bad... how do you expect me to take care of patients if i die on the way there? :trout:
This is the single best argument I have ever read for getting rid of right to work laws. I have grown up driving in winter weather. The weather I hate is freezing rain and sleet. (With snow you have traction.) As I said before there are reasonable procedures available to balance the needs of the employer against the very reasonable safety needs of employees.
you must live inland, lol. i just moved from southeast FL to NC.
Actually, no, I live in Melbourne which is the coast. I am 45 east of Orlando, 2 hours or so south of Daytona. I am ON the beach, LOL. I haven't started my nursing career yet so I don't know what the protocols are for hurricanes. We moved here from North Carolina, LOL. Camp Lejeune to be exact. Good luck up there.
Snow is a much different situation than ice. And I have found that it is much more dangerous to attempt the drive when you live in the more southern areas and this happens. People in TX are not prepared for rain, much less snow or ice. When I lived up in yankee land only one time did the entire area have the roads closed for ice but that didn't last very long. Oh how I miss living up north.......
EMS, we go out in any weather and expected to do so. So When I have to go to work now in the hosp, and people say they can't make it. I am not as compassionate as others, I do not want to hear it. I tell them, what if you had a fire and we did not come? What if your child was coding and we did not come for "bad weather" I have had to go up and down stairs full of ice to get lil elderly people to the hospital, people who are sick and sliding on ice of car wrecks where I can barely stand. I think if I can for years make it to work, others can too. Yes people died on that highway, but what if the first responders felt the same way and did not go to work or even show up?
My hosp is the same way, I drove a hour and a half to get home in snow and sleet this morning. People often do not seem to care what they drive in to get home, but going to work is a different story.
Our hospital is actually renting 2 4WD vehicles and are coming to get people who say "They can't make it in" , as I am glad they are that way the staff that is left there do not have to cover for those who can't make it in. Also if I can ride with someone all the better. It is their fuel not mine if I choose to do so, and if the hosp is willing then so am I
But think of it this way. there are people like me. I have only had my license for a little over a year, I only see out of one eye, i treid to drive the other day, it SCARED THE heck out of me, i turned around and went back to where i was coming form. soem people just can not drive in this type of weather.
When I worked for the phone company they were the same way. I drove to work in horrible conditions for 20 years, scared to death. I won't do it anymore. If weather is bad and I'm at work I'll stay and help. If they want to send a copter for me or a snowmobile I'll go in. But there may come a day when I am too scared to drive myself in.
No job on earth is worth dying for. I'm not a hero. I'm not a fireman or ambulance driver or police man. I know my limitations and live within those boundaries. I do appreciate and thank God for those that are able to go beyond that like all our firemen, police, EMS, soldiers etc. May God bless and keep them safe.
I think we need to work toward a PLAN for our hospitals and communities for disasters. Weather, fires, pandemic flu - all are possible. There MUST be a plan.
Medic04
129 Posts
EMS, we go out in any weather and expected to do so. So When I have to go to work now in the hosp, and people say they can't make it. I am not as compassionate as others, I do not want to hear it. I tell them, what if you had a fire and we did not come? What if your child was coding and we did not come for "bad weather" I have had to go up and down stairs full of ice to get lil elderly people to the hospital, people who are sick and sliding on ice of car wrecks where I can barely stand. I think if I can for years make it to work, others can too. Yes people died on that highway, but what if the first responders felt the same way and did not go to work or even show up?
My hosp is the same way, I drove a hour and a half to get home in snow and sleet this morning. People often do not seem to care what they drive in to get home, but going to work is a different story.
Our hospital is actually renting 2 4WD vehicles and are coming to get people who say "They can't make it in" , as I am glad they are that way the staff that is left there do not have to cover for those who can't make it in. Also if I can ride with someone all the better. It is their fuel not mine if I choose to do so, and if the hosp is willing then so am I