What ice storm? Get yourself to work!!

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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.

:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire

Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
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.

Hurricane Frances:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/nurses-fired-not-working-during-frances-78455.html

i agree! hurricanes are i believe the only natural disaster in which NO ONE... including police, fire rescue and EMS... can be on the road. one local red cross special needs shelter collapsed during Frances, and EMS had to wait until the eye of the storm (and if you know about frances, she sat there for over 2 days just spinning and spinning) to pick up the patients. one had a heart attack and another went into labor. but with winds 130 mph, they had a better chance at the shelter than they did in the back of an ambulance! the national guard actually had to come in for this because the risk of the ambulances tipping over was too great to risk. we had a very very small window in which to get these people (18 in total, i believe) though the doors of the ER before the winds started to blow again and we risked getting killed by being outside with flying debris as well as the doors cutting us in half because the winds were too strong for 4 grown men to hold them open. those three hurricanes were of the most frightening experiences i have ever been through. i cant even imagine how the patients felt.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

I forgot to mention in my former post that though I am in SC I live only 30 mins from Georgia and much closer to Atlanta than the coast of my own state.

While Charleston was being destroyed, we in the Midlands had mainly high, high winds, no electricity anywhere. When I got to work it was me (RN) and 2 LPNs who drove nearly as far as I had.

The only night worker left on the floor was the elderly 11-7 assistant head nurse. She was only a few days from retirement, and she had worked alone for most of the early morning hours.

I left from home at about 5 and got there about 740. That's when I got the write up not from the AHN or the HN, but from administration that was making an example of the three of us......me and the 2 LPNs.

Every one else had called in and thus it was okey-dokey I guess.

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Specializes in ICU,PCU,ER, TELE,SNIFF, STEP DOWN PCT.
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.

Maybe, but I have faith in you. The more you drive the better you will do. How do I know? I am blind in my right eye since childhood. Totally.

Worn glasses and vision in my good eye 20/40 with correction at best.

Again things may scare me, but I got over that. I think in time you'll do fine too and you will overcome many things.

There are many ice and snow storms I went out into, cause there was no one else to do so. If they are willing to give you a ride, or check to see if they will even. Many hospitals do and all you have to do is ask.

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I don't know about ice, but last year I drove through a blizzard - Valentine's Day - that dumped three feet of snow on the ground. My hift started at 7 a.m., I have studded snows on the car (I live in the Adirondacks, fer cryin' out loud), and I left the house at 5 a.m. to go 30 miles. I got there safely mostly in first and second gear. I threw an overnight bag into the car and the DON wanted to kiss my feet when I asked her the day before where I could sleep if I had to stay. I pulled a double and started my next day's shift at the usual time.

I have sympathy for certain situations. But if you know it's going to keep getting worse and you're due in just get the heck there, even if you're hours early.

WE NEED YOU.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.
No job is worth risking your life over. If you truly feel that the roads are too bad to travel on, call in, and worry about the fallout later.

I do this.. I catch you know what for it later and usually get threatened by "We'll have to replace you if you do this again." I always end up saying "You'll have to replace me if I'm dead too."

I was told you cannot be fired/written up/punished for not going in when the weather is bad.

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Specializes in ICU,PCU,ER, TELE,SNIFF, STEP DOWN PCT.
I don't know about ice, but last year I drove through a blizzard - Valentine's Day - that dumped three feet of snow on the ground. My hift started at 7 a.m., I have studded snows on the car (I live in the Adirondacks, fer cryin' out loud), and I left the house at 5 a.m. to go 30 miles. I got there safely mostly in first and second gear. I threw an overnight bag into the car and the DON wanted to kiss my feet when I asked her the day before where I could sleep if I had to stay. I pulled a double and started my next day's shift at the usual time.

I have sympathy for certain situations. But if you know it's going to keep getting worse and you're due in just get the heck there, even if you're hours early.

WE NEED YOU.

AMEN, I always keep a extra bag in the winter with a uniform and change of clothes in it. Everyone should. No excuses there.

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Well I have have been basically blind my whole life and totally blind since I was 12 and had my eye removed this past january. I do know that I will overcome things. I am getting more comfortable driving, i was TERIFFIED to do it at all at first. I am slowly getting better. I have only had my license for a year though so i donot even have that much experience driving so right now it scares the he!! out of me to drive in that type of weather.

Maybe, but I have faith in you. The more you drive the better you will do. How do I know? I am blind in my right eye since childhood. Totally.

Worn glasses and vision in my good eye 20/40 with correction at best.

Again things may scare me, but I got over that. I think in time you'll do fine too and you will overcome many things.

There are many ice and snow storms I went out into, cause there was no one else to do so. If they are willing to give you a ride, or check to see if they will even. Many hospitals do and all you have to do is ask.

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Specializes in ICU,PCU,ER, TELE,SNIFF, STEP DOWN PCT.
Well I have have been basically blind my whole life and totally blind since I was 12 and had my eye removed this past january. I do know that I will overcome things. I am getting more comfortable driving, i was TERIFFIED to do it at all at first. I am slowly getting better. I have only had my license for a year though so i donot even have that much experience driving so right now it scares the he!! out of me to drive in that type of weather.

Again as I said, you will overcome. I have faith in you. You seem a strong person, do not let fear lead you. I hope you heal and I know in time you will drive great. Ice or not

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My employer has a few 4WD specially equipped vehicles, and they come pick nurses up in the event of ice/snow storms.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele, ER.

Well, we're getting ready for our second storm in a week.

The first one went OK, the brunt of the storm occurred while I was at work and the roads were OK by the time I had to drive again (HEY lookie there! an actual benefit to working a 12!). I'm a little nervous about tomorrow because we're expecting lots of snow, then lots of ice, then lots more snow. Eeek.

It does really bother me that it's the same people always calling-in for bad weather. Same people that will call-in for any other lame excuse. I wouldn't care, however it's really frustrating to get up super early, fight my way through snow and ice to get to work, only to be rewarded with a HUGE patient load and/or no aides, no WC, etc. Yay for me, now I get to work my orifice off. :o

I'm leavin' early and taking the hubby's cell tomorrow AM. Wish me luck. :)

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

Um, unless I'm mistaken the "P" in PTO is supposed to stand for "personal". Shouldn't that mean that if the weather poses a personal barrier for you to arrive to work in one piece you should be allowed to use it to compensate for your lost day off? What a stupid policy! IMHO, the only time PTO shouldn't be allowed to be used is to compensate someone who's been suspended for cause.

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Again as I said, you will overcome. I have faith in you. You seem a strong person, do not let fear lead you. I hope you heal and I know in time you will drive great. Ice or not

thank you you are very sweet.

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