Worried about icy falls tomorrow morning

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Specializes in Dialysis.

With today's ice/snow/sleet thing, and temps below freezing all day and through Friday, I am concerned at tomorrow morning and the arrival of our patients.

I work in a 12-chair freestanding dialysis clinic in DFW. We're only open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I assume that our bldg guy came today and put out the ice melter stuff, or the salt or whatever. I assume. It's pretty dark in the parking lot to begin with, and the fact that patients arrive starting at 5am makes the scene more dangerous. I am worried what we'll be up against tomorrow. The temps will be single digits. Many of our pts have gait problems, or wives who bring them in wheelchairs, or come on the city transit service.

My concern lies in the fact that policy prohibits us from leaving the clinic to assist patients into/out of the bldg. My boss has said it before. My charge nurse already told me that if she makes it to work alive, she'll just wait by the door if she needs to run outside with the wheelchair to scoop someone and hurry them inside. It just concerns me. What if the guy didn't put down the stuff? It's not safe, and it bothers me that I am at home worrying about it because things like this get overlooked too frequently.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Im an APN in IL, and work at several dialysis clinics too - we currently have approx 9-12 inches of snow on the ground now. I have figured that many of my pts won't make dialysis tomorrow and those that run high K+ I have given kayexalate to. I hope those that live in the more rural areas will decide to wait at home. We've also given out emergency dialysis diet instructions which we hope wil help too. We are expecting 15-24 inches when all is said and done.

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My concern lies in the fact that policy prohibits us from leaving the clinic to assist patients into/out of the bldg.

That sucks...:mad:

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I know it shouldn't be your responsibility, but it really does cause you that much concern and worry, a bag of environmentally friendly salt for the ice isn't that expensive.....

With today's ice/snow/sleet thing, and temps below freezing all day and through Friday, I am concerned at tomorrow morning and the arrival of our patients.

I work in a 12-chair freestanding dialysis clinic in DFW. We're only open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I assume that our bldg guy came today and put out the ice melter stuff, or the salt or whatever. I assume. It's pretty dark in the parking lot to begin with, and the fact that patients arrive starting at 5am makes the scene more dangerous. I am worried what we'll be up against tomorrow. The temps will be single digits. Many of our pts have gait problems, or wives who bring them in wheelchairs, or come on the city transit service.

My concern lies in the fact that policy prohibits us from leaving the clinic to assist patients into/out of the bldg. My boss has said it before. My charge nurse already told me that if she makes it to work alive, she'll just wait by the door if she needs to run outside with the wheelchair to scoop someone and hurry them inside. It just concerns me. What if the guy didn't put down the stuff? It's not safe, and it bothers me that I am at home worrying about it because things like this get overlooked too frequently.

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