Dragging hospital communications, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century

Nurses General Nursing

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My unit/hospital only sends information to employees via an internal email server. Problem is when I'm not at work I don't have access to these, sometimes time sensitive, communications. I think it's archaic to have to physically be at the hospital to communicate with others and respond to emails. There is no patient information involved, just meeting times, education information, and other miscellaneous information. It seems old school when there is a 10 page article on new therapeutic hypothermia research that I need to read sent over the email. I don't have time to read at work but I have to kill some trees copying it just to sit at my girls cello practice and read it. Would have been better to just read it on my phone and save a tree. Or if a last minute email is sent out about an event I need to attend in 2 days, but I'm not at work until 4 days from now I unfortunately miss it. What do you all use to communicate outside an internal email server?

Thanks Russell

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Have you checked with IT to see of there is a way to get those emails on your phone? I'm sure someone will correct me on the terminology, but we recently used a VPN network. Now it's updated to something simpler to use.

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No, but I have a meeting set up to discuss it. I just thought someone would know what options there are available so I'm not going in blind. Thanks for the VPN idea. I'm somewhat familiar with it but am unsure of the cost vs an external more secure medium. Thanks again.

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

you can always also just forward selected emails to yourself, including attachments.

Just don't send yourself any sensitive emails that need to remain encrypted.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

My husband and I both do not have access to our work email and we work at different hospitals. Accessing and reading email is considered on the clock by both institutions and they legally would have to pay us each and every time we did so, hence no access at home. Doesn't really bother either of us, we leave work at the door.

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

I work in informatics and luckily I have access to a VPN and can work remote. Our technology is excellent and we use Skype for most meetings for which I use a bluetooth Plantronics ear-piece. I am able to access work emails via the web mail but to get it on my phone I'd have to give permission to work to allow access to my phone and that's not going to happen, so if I'm not on the VPN I just use webmail. You should check with your IT to see if they also have a webmail you don't know about.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Copy and past the login link at work and send to your personal...log in at home...there you go...gravy

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.
Copy and past the login link at work and send to your personal...log in at home...there you go...gravy

It doesn't quite work like this I'm afraid. Access through work and via a web link are different. If I don't use a VPN, even though I take my work computer home, I cannot access the server nor the email. The webmail server is external and uses a different interface. Unless the OP knows the link to the webmail they won't be able to access the hospital system from outside without a VPN. It's a secure server.

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It's like you say rock, I can't access outside of work.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I've never known of a facility that didn't have a way of accessing facility email remotely.

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My job also uses an internal server and doesn't send out anything via personal emails to anyone for anything. But I have to tell you that about the last thing I want on my personal email is a message from my employer! If it's something I have to know related to work, I will get it at work. If it's super important and I haven't taken the time to read emails before I start working I can count on someone saying "Did you read the super important email that came out yesterday?" And then I will read it.

If there is an email about something I need to attend and it's sent while I'm off and I miss the event that's nothing I'm going to worry about. If I really needed to attend I got notice before I had time off, or I can read it in time before I need to go. If your employer doesn't give enough notice for mandatory events then that's something they have to address and has nothing to do with where they send emails, only that they do so in a timely manner.

Not at work, don't want to see work emails!

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Specializes in ICU.
you can always also just forward selected emails to yourself, including attachments.

Just don't send yourself any sensitive emails that need to remain encrypted.

The only problem with this is you have to be aware that you have email that needs to be read/forwarded.

I worked at a PRN job like the OP's - where I could only get and receive emails at work - and I'd often work my two shifts every six weeks together. It meant it could be 4 weeks between checking emails, and they'd email me some required education due in two weeks the day after I'd worked my two shifts.

Of course, I had no idea there was education due because I couldn't check my email at home.

I ended up quitting because of required education I kept missing that I had no way of knowing was due, which IMO is a stupid reason to quit, but I'd missed so many I was quite sure I was going to get written up and I'd rather quit a job than be in disciplinary action for something out of my control.

The job was more than an hours' drive away - so I wasn't about to do two hours' worth of driving just to check my email for five minutes.

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