Texting while doing patient care? - Page 8

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  1. May 22, '12 by
    Quote from RLtinker
    This is ridiculous, how old is this nurse?
    I would guess in her mid-40s. She appeared older than I, and I am 38.
  2. May 22, '12 by
    My guess is that the ones here that say they think is fine to use your phone on the floor would be the first to be complaining if the nurse was in a family members room using their phone while working with the family member. Or sitting at the desk texting instead of getting meds, etc. Yup, seen it at work and this is why our hospital laid out the policy. I have a smartphone, I text, use facebook, etc, but I can also control myself while doing patient care. I loved the comment, this isn't the 90's...what does that have to do with anything and obviously that was newer nurse lol Yes, the newer generation of nurses are tech savvy, but so are some of us older gals, but the phone should be in a pocket when on the floor. Like I tell me teen...no phones at the table, no phones when we are talking to you, and if your phone gets taken away at school, it will sit in the office until the end of the year.
    merrywhiterose, nursel56, Purple_Scrubs, and 1 other like this.
  3. May 23, '12 by
    Let's see..rude, unprofessional, unprepared...
    GrnTea, merrywhiterose, and redhead_NURSE98! like this.
  4. May 23, '12 by
    Quote from needshaldol
    Yep agree with Canadiandude. Even tho it may not be "professional", it is what it is and it is here to stay until something better comes along which it will. And speaking of "professional"? In the olden days it was not "professional" to wear ones hair down. One had to wear all white. It all changes. I will say that there are times that I share something of my life with my pts by showing a photo or two and they LOVE it. So it can be good emotional care and can make a shift easier with certain pts.
    exactly. Its a perfect example of old people not embracing technology and vewing it as negative because they don't connect the same way as others. The point is times are changing and it is what it is. Being on your cell phone at work is not automatically rude. Smartphones give us the power to access so much knowledge in the blink of an eye. Text messaging is just very convenient. The reality is that its not that horrible to have a phone on you. But like I said, people are so judgmental. I'm not worried because the amazing thing about time is that the people with old age views will eventually retire (hopefully). And to the person asking what we did before cell phones......that's like asking what we did before cars and light bulbs. We made due with what we had until something better came along. Mulitasking is possible. I don't care about people telling me "studies have shown" unless they did the study themselves
  5. May 23, '12 by
    I use my smart phone to look up ID9 codes, policies, safe practice, scope of practice, labor laws, proceedures, figure out short hand abbreviations from medical records, etc and have used the note feature to write down the VS or verbal doctors orders when my pen died (no names). It is not unusual for my colleagues to ASK me to find out info for them. I used to lug around medical texts -because I can not stand not knowing safe practice and no place ever seems to have everything in their policy proceedure book, drug book, etc no more - yay! I can also do calculations on it and set alarms for when I need to do a task timely. It's the most marvelous thing ever invented.
  6. May 23, '12 by
    First was this an RN or an aid or medical assistant? Second report this person through a phone call to her supervisor. Do it by phone or in writing. This is inexcusable for anyone and I am pretty sure it is not condoned as a patient care expectation for care by anyone in charge. Third, seriously consider a different clinic that is more professional if at all possible.
    lilhelper likes this.
  7. May 23, '12 by
    Quote from EmanEMT
    exactly. Its a perfect example of old people not embracing technology and vewing it as negative because they don't connect the same way as others. The point is times are changing and it is what it is. Being on your cell phone at work is not automatically rude. Smartphones give us the power to access so much knowledge in the blink of an eye. Text messaging is just very convenient. The reality is that its not that horrible to have a phone on you. But like I said, people are so judgmental. I'm not worried because the amazing thing about time is that the people with old age views will eventually retire (hopefully). And to the person asking what we did before cell phones......that's like asking what we did before cars and light bulbs. We made due with what we had until something better came along. Mulitasking is possible. I don't care about people telling me "studies have shown" unless they did the study themselves
    I'm going to apologize up front if this is unnecessarily harsh as I am having a bit of a ridiculous day.

    However.....

    That said....

    I cannot believe for a second that you would not consider it rude if a nurse or a doctor whipped out their cell phone and told you all about their drama (friend drama, baby mama drama, work drama, what EVER!) and started texting back. And if you think I'm just some old bitty that you're waiting to (hopefully!) retire, think again! I am young and at the very beginning of nursing. This is NOT an age thing. This is a common courtesy and decency thing. If a person is sitting in a room with you, for which you are receiving payment in order to perform a service (i.e. medical care), you OWE that person enough respect and decency to focus on THEM, not your cell phone. It absolutely is rude to do otherwise.

    Explain to me how the second half of the bolded does not contradict the sentiment of the first half, and please tell me how the second half is not offensive.

    Edit to add: I'm afraid of a time when all of the people who use manners and attentive care are gone. Thankfully, it wont be happening in my lifetime. :spin:
    Szasz_is_Right, Aurora77, Hoozdo, and 9 others like this.
  8. May 23, '12 by
    It blows my mind that there are people defending someone texting a friend on a personal matter while in the room with a patient doing patient care. This nurse was not looking up pertinent info or answering a page from a colleague. This was a personal text that had no place being handled in the room with the patient! What if you were a patient and a nurse picked up the phone in the room and called a friend while taking your vital signs? Is that not rude and unprofessional? Is it different that the same thing was done via text on her cell phone?

    This has nothing to do with generational issues or being anti-technology. Personal matters do not belong in the patient's room or during patient care. Period. My God, what are we coming to that this is defended as acceptable?
    Szasz_is_Right, Aurora77, Hoozdo, and 15 others like this.
  9. May 23, '12 by
    PurpleScrubs, I can't agree with you more!
    merrywhiterose likes this.
  10. May 23, '12 by
    Pagers are becoming obsolete-doctors are texted now and in the OR we have to screen their texts read them out loud to the doctor who then decides to have us call back or not.

    I will say the smart phone has it's applications in the hospital, but managers have yet to get an appropriate handle on it, mainly because they are using them for their own personal use as well. Hard to discipline yourself.

    Our hospital phone system stinks. Many times phone calls don't go through on the mobile system, which is hospital-wide. If we didn't carry our personal phones many urgent calls would not go through.

    This is something that needs to really be discussed. I do know several actions that have been taken for social networking to see what nurses are texting on the job-especially pictures etc. It will be a challenge to regulate.