Southern California Wildfire Evacuation

Nurses faced—and conquered—unexpected challenges this past October when entire hospital populations had to be evacuated because of the California wildfires. We’re now hearing stories of nurses stepping up to the plate to ensure the safety of their patients during that frightening time. Actually, it might be more accurate to say there are no stories of nurses who didn’t. Would I have been at the plate? Would you have?

Early on the second day of the fires, I was safely in my home in Colorado, sipping coffee and watching Matt Lauer’s onsite coverage of the fire's devastation on television. At the same time, Lorie Shoemaker, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at Pomerado Hospital in Poway in San Diego County, was giving the order to evacuate patients and staff from her hospital.

She described her nursing staff as “fabulous” and said that nurses always rise to the top in emergency situations because that’s what nurses do. I’d ask myself again, “Would I rise to the top?”

Another RN at Pomerado, Farinah Mojadedi, wasn’t scheduled to work the day of the evacuation but went to help at the hospital because other nurses couldn’t get there. She said the nurses were calm, efficient, uncomplaining and a great team.

Expressing admiration for the nursing staff, and understandably emotional, Lorie Shoemaker choked up as she spoke about the selflessness of her nurses in protecting their patients and co-workers.

Some Pomerado nurses showed up to help with the evacuation in cars packed with valuables, and even pets, from their own fire-threatened homes. That’s dedication.

Hearing all this, I had to wonder if I would be as self-sacrificing in the same situation. Would I separate myself from my family in such a frightening time to move patients to safety? Would I? I don’t know.

Share your thoughts on how you’d handle a crisis