I would like to comment on the fire drill experience that Sharon Dynek wrote about in “Nurse, pass me the popcorn, STAT!” (Q, Jan. 5). When a Code Red is announced in a hospital, there usually is little response from the nursing staff. As a patient or visitor, would you really want to see the staff become hysterical? We are professionals and we are very well versed on what actions to take during a fire. Hospitals run drills on a regular basis. When the alarm rings, we never know if it is a drill or a real fire. We often use the “burning popcorn” story so as not to panic our patients. Not everybody would understand why we weren’t hurrying him or her out of a burning building.
In the event of a real fire, we do not evacuate as you would an office or apartment building. It is not feasible or necessary to do so. The fire doors close and we close each patient door. Then we go about the business of taking care of patients and leave the firefighting to the firefighters. As we wait for further instructions or an “all clear,” the thought that there may be a real fire is always on our minds.
Dynek’s article was insulting to nurses. She should have researched her topic before writing it. She could have queried any nurse in any hospital in the country and she would have received the same explanation that I have given.
There is a nationwide nursing shortage. We cannot afford the type of negative publicity that was published in your paper, nor do we deserve it.
