Texting while doing patient care?

[klone]

This was a new one on me and I thought I would throw it out there to the nurses and get your opinion. I was a patient today in an outpatient clinic. I was getting my vitals taken, and as the nurse was putting the blood pressure cuff on me, she pulled out her smart phone and said "wow, three text messages!" I said, "Oh, do you have a child emergency?" She said, "No, a friend with a job crisis," and then as the blood pressure machine was taking my blood pressure, she started reading through/responding to her texts. Then, when the machine was done with the reading, she realized she didn't have a pen to write down the vitals, so she took a picture of the machine readout with her phone (which I thought was...creative).

Now, as an employee of the facility at which she works, I know that it's against policy to carry around a personal phone and be seen texting while on company time. I personally would never dream of texting while walking around in the halls, but to whip out a phone and start texting while taking someone's vitals? That's just a whole 'nother level. I was completely at a loss for words. Am I the only one who finds that completely appallingly unprofessional, or is that just how it is nowadays? I brought this up at another message board (not nursing related) and another person said that as long as she knew what she was doing and practiced safely, it was all good. I'm of the opinion that I expect my care provider to practice safely AND be professional.

Thoughts?

[klone, MSN, RN]

One thing puzzles me though - why would she need to "photograph" a BP taken on a dynamap? Prior readings are recorded on the machine and can be retrieved at the push of a button, so I fail to see any "creativity", just ignorance of the device. Unless it's one of those really old-fashioned, obsolete models, but even our ancient Critikons retain prior data.

That would have required her having to wheel the machine with her out into the hall to retrieve the data, rather than just retrieve the data from her phone, I guess.

[mind_body_soul RN]

I would have "fired" her as my nurse on the spot and filled out a complaint form. That is just extremely rude, unprofessional, unsanitary, and unsafe. Since you work at the same facility, you should know the proper channels to go through to notify her supervisor. Any medical facility I have ever been in has signs posted prohibiting cell phone use in all patient care areas. I assume that this applies to the providers as well as patients. People are becoming increasingly rude with cellphones. There have been times where I wanted to take someone's cell phone away from them and stomp it into a million pieces

[justavolunteer]

I am 'justavolunteer' on a pt. unit. I don't get paid for that, but still, I would consider it rude to be on a cell phone while with a patient. The focus of everyone there is supposed to be on THEM, not US. My cell is off while I'm there. The rare times my wife needs to contact me, she knows to call the nurses' station & leave a message.

We have hospital phones. If there are spares, I will carry one so the staff can find me more easily. Even those, I will tell a pt. "excuse me, hospital phone" before I answer. Sometimes, if I am in the middle of something with a pt., I ignore the call until I can break free.

As far as 'getting with the times', rudeness to patients has never been in fashion anytime that I have heard of.

[PinkRocksLikeMe]

OK, this is totally UNACCEPTABLE and taking a picture because you don't have a pen?? That just screams unproffesional! I have to admit one day my watch stop working and I pulled my phone out to use the stopwatch, but I explained to the patient what I was doing so there would be no question was I taking care of them or posting a status on FB.

We as well do not get good cell reception, I do not make calls from my phone unless I am at lunch but if I am at my station away from view of the patient's if I get a text I will look at it and sometimes respond. Most days before i go into work I do that check in thing on FB saying I am at BLANK BLANK HOSPITAL, it tells my friends and family with common sense not to call or text unless a true emergency is going on and I check my text because 99.9% of the time it is my daughter who could care less if I am working or not because EVERYTHING in a 16 y/o's world is a emergency!

But this story, not cool!

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

I'd fire any of my employees that did that, without hesitation. I have a cell phone and it is powered off, in my purse, locked in a drawer in my office. I do not even check during during the work day because I'm working.

And this goes both ways. Patients will not be using cell phones on my time if they want to remain my patient. As a matter of personal policy, I immediately exit the exam room without a word if one of my patients uses a cell phone for any purpose during the exam. And I do not return. If I see a cell phone, the visit is OVER, period.

[MunoRN, RN]

This really isn't an issue of old Nurses just being out-of-touch and pushing their old fashioned values onto the younger generation. Some views have changed and been generally accepted - Nurses no longer need to wear all white for instance. But at least giving the patient the impression that your attention is mostly directed at them while doing any sort of assessment has always been a non-negotiable part of Nursing professionalism. Having a conversation with a friend, be it by text, telephone, telegraph, or morse code has always been, and always will be, rude.

I do agree that technology makes it easier to connect with people. However, while assessing a patient the person you should be "connecting" with is the patient, no texting required.

I don't think it's fair to assume that all members of the younger generation think this sort of behavior is acceptable. I think there have always been, and always will be rude people, technology just makes them easier to spot; they're the one's texting their friends while taking your vitals.

[MunoRN, RN]

Back to the OP, my suggestion would have been to respond to "No, a friend with a job crisis" with "what, did she get fired for texting while taking someone's vitals?"

If you really said "Oh, do you have a child emergency?" and the Nurse didn't catch on that she should have a really good reason for texting in front of you, I'm more concerned with her intelligence than her professionalism.

[EverNurseRN]

you can be connected on your personal time, not your work time. seriously, what did people do before smartphones? somehow the human species managed to survive until now without being constantly connected. doesn't anybody just want some "down time" when you don't get text messages, phone calls, emails, etc.?

word!! i get sick of being chained to my phone sometimes..'why didn't you answer my text' 'how come you didn't hear your phone ring'..sheesh..can't even fold a load of laundry without my cell sitting on top of the dryer :/ work time is my free-me time..if there's an emergency, my fam has my work #

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Just for fun....to all those who feel texting in front of the patient is OK

Scenario #1: You are out to eat in a restaurant, even Burger King for that matter, you are trying to give the waiter/dress your order and their phone rings. They stop you, "excuse me" and while you are trying to get your order to them they are texting away, never looking at you, telling you...."Yup, Yup....go on"...while all the while they are face first in their phones texting away.Your food come and it bears no resemblance to what you ordered. You call the waiter/dress over to complain their phone rings....they once again begin texting. You are NOT HAPPY yet they continue to have their face in the phone. When you ask them to put the phone down they tell you....never once glancing in your direction "I can hear you, I just need to answer my friend right now."

Scenario #2: You are experiencing the worst headache of your life. You have been vomiting for hours. You finally arrive at the Emergency Department and begin to tell the triage nurse your story of agony and pain......her phone rings. She picks it up. She puts one finger in your face and tells you. "Just a second I need to answer this".......and begins texting. You are in agony. You bring it to her attention that you are in agony....never missing a fast fingered beat and never looking up she state "Go Ahead I hear you.....I'm a great multi tasker, you know some people have it some people don't"....while the continue to text away.

What is your response?

Even when I am at the bedside as a supervisor, starting an IV, running a code....... I am receiving texts and beeped galore. I will have someone answer my urgent pages while I finish my task. If I am taking to a grieving or unhappy family/patient. I will ignore my hospital supplied phone with an occasional glance for emergency pages/texts are preceded with 911. My personal phone I ignore until I am in the hallway and my family/friends/children are aware of this and respect my space.

It is not an age thing. It a rudeness thing. It's a unprofessional thing. PUT THE PHONE DOWN. Even if a nuclear warhead is on it's way to your location. Waiting the 3 mins until you are in the hallway, or excusing yourself to answer in the hallway....is not going to change your outcome.

Treat others as you want yourself to be treated.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

Scenario #3....can you imagine if you're in a shop and the till operator left off scanning your goods while she was answering her phone? I get snotty with them if they have private conversations with each other while they're supposed to be concentrating on their customer, so you can imagine how I'd react if one of them had the cheek to leave me standing while she sent text messages.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Word!! I get SICK of being chained to my phone sometimes..'why didn't you answer my text' 'how come you didn't hear your phone ring'..sheesh..can't even fold a load of laundry without my cell sitting on top of the dryer :/ work time is my free-me time..if there's an emergency, my fam has my work #

My question: Why are you "physically" chained to your phone and why haven't you gone to the police to arrest who did that to you??????

The point: no one requires you to be accessible at every moment, for every single burp of their life without YOUR permission. Growing up, I learned quickly, not to call my parents at work unless there was a real honest emergency reason to call.

I have had a few friends that somehow knew the cell code, that signals an emergency call/message (bypasses other messages and prompts one to immediately call back). Invariably they gave used it to call for trivial chitchat, not anything remotely urgent. After warning them not to do that for nonemergent issues, I got the "well, I want you to make it a priority to call me back, whatever you are doing." I explain that if you do that for nonemergencies during work or sleep hours, I will block your number from my cell.

Problem solved!!!!

Unless there is an emergency, or dire family issue, no one has the right to 24/7 nonstop immediate attention, unless you give them that right. Please feel free to take that right back when they abuse it.

[♑ Capricorn ♑]

Unprofessional and inconsiderate. As a patient, it would make me feel less important. I don't like the fact that she took a picture either. What is she going to do with it? She better delete it. I would've felt invaded. That does ride with me at all. Maybe a lil harsh, but its hard to trust someone when they are playing tricks like this. Yeah, she may know what she's doing and still did it well. But, she came across poorly. I don't know. I'm sorry that happened to you. Its one thing to be doing it when you got a spare moment, but the best time is not with a patient.