What is it with nurses and cell phones? Just a vent.

tokebi · Sep 9, 2012

What is it with allnurses.com and cell phones?

Who knew a cell phone was such a hot button issue?

sapphire18 · Sep 9, 2012

What is SUCH an emergency that it couldn't wait for you to get in touch with your kids/husband/nanny/mailman/etc in a half an hour?? Seriously.

And in case you've forgotten, you are being compensated to attend all these "ridiculous" mandatory meetings and classes at work. Who cares if you don't care about the content, or are too smart for it. Someone higher up obviously does, and they are paying you for it.

Show some respect.

allnurses Guide · Sep 9, 2012

What is it with allnurses.com and cell phones?
Who knew a cell phone was such a hot button issue?

It isn't just allnurses. This is a hot-button issue everywhere because there is no cell phone common courtesy practiced and frankly, folks are sick of it.

It's a hot-button issue when I walk up to the nurses' station and see 3 nurses with their heads down texting furiously away. And this is not to children who are ill or in the ER or husbands who forgot how to diaper a baby. Mostly it is nurses who are gossiping.

It's a hot-button issue when you are in a restaurant and someone you invited out to dinner continues to look at their phone and texts back while you are trying to have a conversation.

It's a hot-button issue in a meeting with one person doesn't put their phone on silence and the ring-tone is their grandson singing an irritating song at full volume.

It's a hot-button issue when you are in class and you get distracted from what the teacher is saying by phones going off around you or people texting away.

Common courtesy means in a classroom or restaurant or meeting, you give the teacher, or your date or your co-workers some respect.

When I'm giving report on a hospice patient and that co-worker's phone goes off . .. I lose my place.

I think this is normal - to get irritated by this issue. We aren't crazy. :bugeyes: Yet.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 9, 2012

baby2009 is a single mother of two, so I can understand her feeling the need to answer her phone/make calls when she is at the doctor/NP, although I don't condone her comments towards doctors/NP's in regard to her using her phone. I hope that there would be mutual respect and co-operation on both sides.

Baby's own words ensured there would not be respect and cooperation on both sides . . . Baby obviously has no respect for others.

allnurses Guide · Sep 9, 2012

Baby's own words ensured there would not be respect and cooperation on both sides . . . Baby obviously has no respect for others.

And I don't understand how being a single mother of two absolves someone of being disrespectful or uncooperative. :confused:

I was a single (divorced) mother of two at one time - I had no idea it gave me the right to do whatever I darn well pleased. :coollook:

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 9, 2012

And I don't understand how being a single mother of two absolves someone of being disrespectful or uncooperative.
I was a single (divorced) mother of two at one time - I had no idea it gave me the right to do whatever I darn well pleased.

As in another current thread, it's all about the reproduction. Reproduction is apparently the only goal to which women should aspire, the only standard by which they are judged and the only worthwhile part of their existence. So, if you reproduce, you're entitled to do whatever you damn well please. Until, of course, someone else reproduces and trumps you.

tokebi · Sep 9, 2012

It isn't just allnurses. This is a hot-button issue everywhere because there is no cell phone common courtesy practiced and frankly, folks are sick of it.
It's a hot-button issue when I walk up to the nurses' station and see 3 nurses with their heads down texting furiously away. And this is not to children who are ill or in the ER or husbands who forgot how to diaper a baby. Mostly it is nurses who are gossiping.
It's a hot-button issue when you are in a restaurant and someone you invited out to dinner continues to look at their phone and texts back while you are trying to have a conversation.
It's a hot-button issue in a meeting with one person doesn't put their phone on silence and the ring-tone is their grandson singing an irritating song at full volume.
It's a hot-button issue when you are in class and you get distracted from what the teacher is saying by phones going off around you or people texting away.
Common courtesy means in a classroom or restaurant or meeting, you give the teacher, or your date or your co-workers some respect.
When I'm giving report on a hospice patient and that co-worker's phone goes off . .. I lose my place.
I think this is normal - to get irritated by this issue. We aren't crazy. Yet.

Woah woah calm down spidey's mom! I was simply expressing my amusement how an innocuous object could expose so much division and contempt among people. While I am totally neutral on this and don't care either way, I think it's just inevitable culture change as technology changes. One side is adamant that it's disrespectful. The other side thinks it's perfectly normal to text anywhere, everywhere. What can be done?

By the way, nurses are actually given iPhones on my floor and we text each other all the time with work-related messages. If you walk into our hospital and see nurses on their phones, don't be mad!

BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN · Sep 9, 2012

Times are so different than when we were our kids' age.........years ago we walked everywhere and there were pay phones EVERYWHERE so that when we did something silly or needed our parents, we had a way to be in touch......I hope you never live long enough to regret being "No nonsense parents." There are so many crazies and dangerous situations out there that I would want my kids to be able to reach me IMMEDIATELY, whether its a call or a text message! A trak phone is cheap and unreliable. Texting is an add-on which YOU must have allowed when you gave him the other phone so what is a teenager supposed to do? Other than that, I can only imagine that you could hold your child hostage until he is old enough to move away from home and get his own phone service. Hopefully, he'll still want to be calling or texting you by then.

This is to ridiculous. Firstly, in response to "what is a teenager supposed to do?" Easy, mind his manners! Texting at the table? Who would ever tolerate such nonsense? I can barely imagine it.

Secondly, of our seven children, the two oldest are the only ones with cell phones. Children under 16 do not need a cell phone. If stranger danger approaches them, calling me is a waste of time. a) I wouldn't answer anyway, lol and b) they would be better off running than calling. Besides that, they have an au pair and are not ever unattended in public.

Thirdly, if any of our children grows up to be so shallow, self absorbed and devoid of values and respect so as to resent proper parenting, boundaries and discipline, we wouldn't want anything to do with them anyway.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2012

As in another current thread, it's all about the reproduction. Reproduction is apparently the only goal to which women should aspire, the only standard by which they are judged and the only worthwhile part of their existence. So, if you reproduce, you're entitled to do whatever you damn well please. Until, of course, someone else reproduces and trumps you.

Men's Rights groups call it the "Golden Uterus Syndrome". Though I do not agree with MRs much, I have to say this phrase is apt.

You know, we had parents that taught us not to call except for emergencies, did not have cell phones, did not have to "helicopter hover" over us, special meds/assistance for ADD/ADHD, 24hr access, video games, computers or the internet to do our homework for us.

How ever did we survive?

BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN · Sep 9, 2012

I am a single mother of two although i agree with the respect issue, I must say that i keep my phone on all the time unless i am testing if i am in a meeting or at school i put my phone on vibrate. its never a time that i wont respond to a text from my kids even if its not right away i will determine if its unimportant . i don't need a Dr or a Np to tell me when i can and cannot use my phone. especially when i am paying their salary. As far as work goes i have common sense to use the phone on break or asked to be dismissed for an emergency. I wish a dr or and np would tell me i couldn't use my phone. i bet after i finished with them they wouldn't do it again. i am in nursing school and my instructor answer they phone.

In my office, patients obey the rules or are dismissed from the practice. End of story.

I don't need your $20, lol.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2012

Yeah, and after you finished I bet you'd be looking for a new DR or NP because they'd be firing you from their practice.

And have difficulty finding another good one in the area that will accept you as a patient when word gets around.

mshessle · Sep 9, 2012

After reading this thread, I'm really glad I don't work with most people who posted. People need to chill out. I'm an adult and a nurse. I take exceptional care of my patients and am great at time management. I often have spare time throughout my shift and use my phone in non-patient care areas. It's easier for me to stay awake when I have something to do. I'm not disrespecting anyone. It's amazing how differently people think. For people concerned about disrespecting others, some of the attitudes and statements on this thread are so mean spirited and rude.