National Nurses United

8 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4 MICHIGAN W hen you live in Michigan, you expect winter storms. The average snowfall per year can range from 57 inches in Ann Arbor to 207 inches in Houghton. It can snow 51 days a year in Muskegon and 78 days in Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula. Dealing with snow and ice is a natural part of being a Michigander. But December 2013 was an entirely differ- ent situation. On Saturday, Dec. 21, an unusu- ally severe ice storm ripped through the middle of Michigan, leaving approximately 98,000 homes and businesses in the dark, some without power for more than 10 days. For many, the holidays were spent bunking with those who had power or in a hotel or huddled around a kerosene heater or fireplace. The following Saturday, approximately 18 inches of snow fell with wind gusts of 25 to 35 miles per hour and wind chills that ranged from 35 to 50 degrees below zero. Ten minutes outside meant a strong risk of frostbite on exposed areas and heart attack victims from shoveling snow were quickly showing up in emergency departments. Sue Gurk, a registered nurse from Spar- row Hospital's inpatient unit Hospice House in Lansing, dealt with the lack of power for the unit's patients on Sunday, Dec. 22, by coordinating with the home hospice on-call staff to do three respite admissions for patients on portable oxygen tanks who lost power at home. During the following week, the unit continued to receive emergency respite patients and their families while power was being restored. The simple task of driving a car to get to work was impossible as the side streets were not drivable. Mari- etta Brooks, RN, who works in discharge planning at the University of Michigan Hospital, used her four-wheel drive vehicle to get into work. Upon arrival, she discovered that 11 of her case managers were unable to get out of their homes, so she managed the entire unit by herself. "I took the bus to work because my subdivision wasn't plowed," University of Michigan Health System registered nurse Felicia Kieme remembers. "My nostrils froze shut and my fingers went numb after being outside for a minute." Nurses were packing overnight bags and volunteering to work for nurses who had to call in. Volunteerism was high as nurses willingly worked back-to-back shifts to cover for colleagues who were dealing with broken water pipes, frozen garage doors, and no electricity or heat at home. Cots were set up in nesting rooms and offices so nurses could rest before going back on shift. Bette O'Connor-Rogers, RN, a visiting nurse in the Grand Rapids area, had an entirely different set of problems as she tried to get to her patients. "We did a lot of triage over the phone," she said. "I was able to get out on Monday, but got stuck four times trying to go down unplowed streets, and the streets that were plowed were like solid ice." "Every nurse who could get out to see patients did extra to get us through. We always work hard to teach our patients to stock up on the basic supplies, including their meds, and to have an emergency plan when inclement weather is coming, so many of them did fine. As visiting nurses, we are trained to keep extra clothing, food and drink, things to keep us warm, and equip- ment to deal with getting stuck in our vehi- cles, so we are prepared as well." "You do what you have to and as much as you safely can to ensure your patients are okay. You do the right thing even when no one is looking because that is just how, as nurses, we are built." Mikaela Reed, RN, from U-M Cardiovas- cular Center agrees. "Bottom line is, when my family said, 'Don't you get a snow day tomor- row?' I just looked at them. I work in a hospi- tal, people don't take snow days from being sick or not receiving their treatments on time. So if it meant for me to get up an extra couple of hours to make sure I'm at work on time, then that's what I do," said Reed. "Nurses are known for their integrity when it comes to putting their patients before anyone else. That's what we do daily." —Ann Sincox Michigan nurses persevere during extreme weather conditions The Michigan Nurses Association building is almost invisible from the street due to snow piled up from the parking lot. Although the building itself never lost power, the office was closed for two days due to a snow emergency requiring people to stay off the streets in Lansing, Mich. NEWS BRIEFS

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