From A Tired Nurse

Hello Mr. O'Reilly, I am a nurse who has just completed working approximately 120 hoursas the clinic director in a Hurricane Gustav evacuation shelter in Shreveport, Louisiana over the last 7 days. I would love to seesomeone look at the evacuee situation from a new perspective. Local and national news channels have covered the evacuation and "horrible" conditions the evacuees had to endure during Hurricane Gustav.True - some things were not optimal for the evacuation and theshelters need some modification. At any point, does anyone address the responsibility (or irresponsibility) of the evacuees?? Does it seem wrong that one would remember their cell phone,charger, cigarettes and lighter but forget their child's insulin?? Is something amiss when an evacuee gets off the bus, walksimmediately to the medical area, and requests immediate free refills on all medicines for which they cannot provide a prescription or currentbottle (most of which are narcotics)?? Isn't the system flawed when an evacuee says they cannot afforda $3 copay for a refill that will be delivered to them in the shelteryet they can take a city-provided bus to Wal-mart, buy 5 bottles ofVodka, and return to consume them secretly in the shelter?? Is it fair to stop performing luggage checks on incomingevacuees so as not to delay the registration process but endanger thevolunteerstaff and other persons with the very realistic truth of drugs, alcohol and weapons being brought into the shelter?? Am I less than compassionate when it frustrates me to scrubemesis from the floor near a nauseated child while his mother lies nearby,watching me work 26 hours straight, not even raising her head fromthe pillow to comfort her own son?? Why does it incense [sic]me to hear a man say "I ain't goin'home 'til I get my FEMA check" when I would love to just go home and see mydaughters who I have only seen 3 times this week?Is the system flawed when the privately insured patient must finda way to get to the pharmacy, fill his prescription and pay his copaywhile the FEMA declaration allows the uninsured person to acquire free medications under the disaster rules?Does it seem odd that the 20 nursevolunteering at the shelter ispaying for childcare while the evacuee sits on a cot during the day as theshelter provides a "day care"?? Have government entitlements created this mentality and am I facilitating it with my work?? Will I be a bad person, merciless nurse or poor Christian if Ihesitate to work at the next shelter because I have worked for 7days being called every curse word imaginable, felt threatened andfeared for my personal safety in the shelter?Exhausted and battered but hopefully pithy,Sherri Hagerhjelm, RN