Nurse, what's your number?

LauraF, RN, ASN, CNA, LPN, RN · Apr 22, 2003

The hospital where I delivered both my children had cell phones. Each room has a dry erase board and they would write the cell phone number down for the patient. It was nice. The NICU my youngest was in had pagers for the nurses. Our primary care nurse gave us her pager number every morning. So I wouldn't have to sit on hold. We were in the process of trying to move back home after a tornado and fire. She would leave the pager number on my cell phone voice mail. Then I would check it. When I was going to be in one place for more the 15 minutes I could page her and she'd call me back.

Rapheal · Apr 23, 2003

Oh how I hate my phone. It can be so useful, but you never know who is on the other end. The unit clerk may have transferred a call from a busy doctor who starts barking orders before you even know which patient he is talking about or an irate patient family member calling from out of state who threatens to get you fired when you don't divulge private patient info. My phone scares me!!!!!!!

Tephra · Apr 23, 2003

Ooooh I had a phone when I worked Med-surg at my hospital. I hated hated HATED it. The desk clerk would ring calls through -- didn't matter if you were in deep isolation garb in an MRSA room, or elbow-deep in poopoolito elsewhere. And goodness forbid if you didn't answer -- a chewing out from the desk cler, charge nurse, and caller (later).

How respectful is it to be talking with a patient and family and have to stop to take a call? All we learn about the time to relate to and teach your patients -- and instead you're supposed to be available immediately on the phone.

It SEEMS like a good idea but only if you're not doing something at the time it rings (and that's pretty infrequent!). There's something to be said for the idea that someone else will help, or you will call back. Does your personal physician, accountant, or child's teacher drop everything to talk to you? Hmmm.

:)

Morganskylar · Apr 23, 2003

where i work we use the radios to talk back and forth with other staff and the doctors. i think the idea of having a cell phone or pager for the patients to be able to call is a good idea, although i can see the pros and cons of having the cell phone. i am sure that it can and prob. is abused by the patients and the docotors. i do like using the radios at work that way it is easy to communicate with others without having to run all over the place to answer a page.

mednurse · Apr 23, 2003

We use cell phones in the hospital I work in. I like them for the most part. Some units have a policy of giving the pt your cell phone number. Then it gets crazy. You will get five calls in a row that the pt "really needs ice" (for their cups), or a pt will want to be "scooted up" in bed even though they walk up and down the hall all day. It's just that the pts don't think twice about calling you on your cell phone. Talk about interruptions.

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 23, 2003

I have to know- where is this hospital paying 10$ night diffs?

nptobee · Apr 23, 2003

Kristi2377, it's in Lanham, MD right outside of DC.

debbyed · Apr 23, 2003

We have cell phones in the ER but not for every one. The charge nurse, triage nurse, all the doc's and PA's and the Nurse Manager. It makes communication easier and after an ER DOC talks to the attending he/she just hands the phone to the patients nurse to take admitting orders.

It cuts down on the amount of overhead paging and the extra running around. Unfortunately each cell phone also has 3 lines plus hold and transfer buttons, so sometimes you can't remember which call you are supposed to be doing what for.

Flynurse · Apr 23, 2003

I use to work in a rehab hospital that all charge nurses and administration had mobile phones that were linked to a system that worked only in the hospital. The aides had beepers that would go off when a call bell would come on...and you couldn't shut it off until the call bell was shut off (also only worked in the hospital). I didn't like the beepers, but I loved the phone because that was the only way I could find the charge nurse in the evening.

surgorthonurse · Apr 23, 2003

We used to carry cell phones. Now we have ID tags that light up the lights above the door of the room we are in. They are color coded for each: cna, lpn or rn.

I call them our house arrest badges or our home detention detectors.