VAMHCS nurses have serious concerns about the chaos during the recent storms. Threats from supervisors, poor communication, lack of organization, lack of emergency preparedness, were a recurrent theme reported to NAGE officials.

The storms were forecast well in advance with little response from Leadership. Nurses on duty Friday night were threatened with discipline if they left rather than thanked for being there. Employees were invited to hot food and then asked to pay for it. Nurses were to be picked up yet left waiting for hours without word or ride. To add insult they were then required to use AL or not be paid.

Staff asked: “Why didn’t we move patients on Friday while everyone was in house?” “Why wasn’t the disaster plan initiated?” “How come Hopkins and UMMS made plans for their nurses and we didn’t?” “Why did I have to go to multiple places to work in a single shift?” “Why didn’t nursing submit names and addresses of nurses due in/could come in and have the routes coordinated?” Why did I have to use my own time when I was waiting for 12 hours and no one came?” and many more question.

Leadership should answer the Nurses questions. Yet, it doesn’t appear they have even acknowledged these situations existed, the first step in resolution. Leadership is spending BIG money on Emergency Preparedness, Planetree and Magnet programs but don’t really seem to understand the underlying philosophy: Staff have valid concerns and solutions -LISTEN to them!!