Fortunately so far I was usually home when a storm hits. But not this time. On Sunday, the news started to spread that there was going to be 20-30 inches of snow across NYC and Long Island from Monday until Tuesday midnight. And I was scheduled for both Monday and Tuesday.
So I got myself ready… Just in case I was going to stay over. Another pair of scrubs, toothbrush, toothpaste, other toiletries, and pajamas.
I went to work Monday. Watching the news, I saw the weather get worse. I probably would make it home but my small car probably wouldn’t be able to make it back to work. My nurse manager asked if I was going to stay. I said yes– I just need a sleeping area. She said she would arrange one, don’t worry.
After work, I went to the cafeteria. They were nice enough to give out sandwiches, cookies and water for those staying over. Many of my coworkers came in early the night before. Dedication!
I went back to my car to drop off my lunch supplies and pick up my bags. I was considering sleeping in the car but by the time I got to my car, I thought it was way too cold. I headed back inside.
When I was working the night shift, we put sleeping mats in the shower because we didn’t have anywhere else to store them. I thought that the shower was pretty useless and nobody was ever going to use it. Funny how I ended up using it that night. I just wish I brought my sandals!
I slept on a mat in the conference room. It wasn’t too bad, except that the ground was hard so I had to reposition myself every few minutes haha. I put my phone on airplane mode to conserve battery.
It was actually kinda nice not to have to travel to and from work. Extra sleep time. It was nice to wake up and find out that four other nurses also stayed overnight. One patient care assistant (PCA) worked the 3-11, slept, then 7am-3pm. Another PCA did 11pm and ended at noon. Another one did 3pm-7am. Thank goodness for them!!
They offered a $2.50 credit for breakfast. So that was nice.
But we started with 7 nurses when we usually work with 10 so it was a rough start to the morning. Most of us started with a triple! As the morning came, two more nurses came in so it felt a lot better.
Anyways I am glad that there was a mandate for no cars on the roads overnight so the trucks could plow most of the snow away. And I am glad that I didn’t have to drive through bad weather by staying inside.
We don’t have mandatory overnight stays so we don’t get paid to sleepover. I believe that at some other hospitals that in a state of emergency that they do this to keep enough staff on duty. Do you think that nurses should get paid to sleep overnight or during the day or that it’s a waste of money to do so? Or does short staffing cause unsafe patient situations? What is more important?