Dozens of nurses at Northern California hospital balk at wearing locators

Scavenger'sWife, RN · Oct 2, 2002

The hospital I work for has all floor staff wear locators (tracers) (RN, LPN, NA). A light above the patients' doors will light up green for nurses and amber for NA. Helpful to be able to look down the hall and see where the staff members are. They do NOT light up in the toilet. They do NOT do any other function (time us, or serve as monitors, or whatever). And, as another poster here said, if you drop them below your waist, or (on ours) if you turn them over, they will not pick up. They will also turn off the patient call light when we walk into the room. That is really nice.

We also carry pager-type devices. They "buzz" vibrate or chirp depending on how you set them. Nurses' pagers are set to go off with the telemetry - they will show on screen "213A: VTACH" or some other message depending on how the tele is set for that patient. They are also programmed each day to reflect call-light messages for your own block of patients. The pagers for NA are set to only reflect call-lights, since they do not need to know tele messages. The pagers are NOT able to call each other, nor can anyone call me specifically. They are only "messages".

We also carry cell phones. My biggest complaint with these is the size of them. They are way too large and heavy. But the front desk can call me with stat reports, messages, forward phone calls from doctors or families, etc. To me, it is great because I don't have to drop everything and run to find someone for a phone call. And I don't have to wait at the front desk for a doctor to return a call to me. Etc., etc., etc.

As I said, my personal belief, as for the devices that I carry at work, is that they are great time-savers. My only gripe about the pager and phone is their weight. I already carry everything but the kitchen sink in my pockets, and these things serve to weigh down my pockets even more. I have recently lost some weight, and my larger-than-they-used-to-be scrubs are listing heavily to one side some days!

So does it sound like I am a sell-out? I don't care. I like the devices I carry and will use them as I wish. It doesn't sound like my hospital's devices are quite the same as the diabolical "dog-collar" devices some of you describe. I would NOT wear those devices AT ALL...EVER. There is a difference between TRACER and TRACKER!

As for the "other topic" on this thread.....how about getting back to the subject?

Love to all.......

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Oct 2, 2002

OK folks, I've spent a lousy hour cleaning up all the rotten tomatoes people are throwing at each other. If a post was spent ragging on someone else instead of talking about the subject at hand it was removed. This is not intended to insult anyone, just to keep the conversation on topic.

I notice there are still people that want to discuss the locater badges and it's a good discussion- but please debate the topic, not the poster's character. It's not nice to read and all this work makes the moderators cranky.

Thanks a lot. PM me if you feel you need to.

sjoe · Oct 3, 2002

Thanks, canoe. You moderators bust your butts for us.

It's so easy to just use the "ignore" feature when we find someone annoying, instead of getting mired down in arguments and name-calling. I highly recommend it to one and all.

Scavenger'sWife, RN · Oct 3, 2002

Thanks, canoe. You moderators do a great job and need some pats-on-the-back. Consider yourself patted!!

rebelwaclause, ASN, RN · Oct 3, 2002

Originally posted by canoehead
OK folks, I've spent a lousy hour cleaning up all the rotten tomatoes people are throwing at each other. If a post was spent ragging on someone else instead of talking about the subject at hand it was removed. This is not intended to insult anyone, just to keep the conversation on topic.

I notice there are still people that want to discuss the locater badges and it's a good discussion- but please debate the topic, not the poster's character. It's not nice to read and all this work makes the moderators cranky.

Thanks a lot. PM me if you feel you need to.

Censorship. Dayum.

frankie · Oct 4, 2002

How unprofessional!

rebelwaclause, ASN, RN · Oct 4, 2002

No. But Thank you anyway. And, we should stay on topic here...You'll get deleted.

NMAguiar · Oct 4, 2002

This moderator has my appreciation for their efforts.

I must point out I filed multiple reports to moderators two-weeks ago when everything ran amuck on this thread. Where were the moderators then? Why did it take so long to respond?

No criticism intended here. But is there a way to get a more rapid response on problem threads before serious participants are driven away? :confused:

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Oct 4, 2002

I've spent minimal time on line over past two weeks due to work/family issues. I had emailed some of the posters regarding posting behavior and saw that our regular posters informed regarding appropriate standards at allnurses. I don't necessarily agree that these posts needed editing.

Only flagrant violators of allnurses posting policy are pulled to Offensive post area. I will close a thread if flame wars errupt wildly. Different persons have different styles of posting and I try to give wide leeway--it helps to show sometimes how NOT to act.

NMAguiar · Oct 4, 2002

It makes sense. It's better to err on the liberal side in censorship.

Tks for the response.

rebelwaclause, ASN, RN · Oct 4, 2002

Thank you Karen for being an experienced, logical, sound minded "super-moderator!" Much respect to you. And NM....You're always a favorite!

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Oct 4, 2002

Thanks...don't know if sons and husband would agree. :chuckle