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

Nurses Professionalism

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Recently my hospital has upgraded or introduced multiple new computer programs that have required almost every level of nurse from bedside to administration to attend class in order to use the new technology. I have assisted in teaching numerous classes and before each we ask that cell phones be silenced and put away, that if anyone must make or take a call or text to please exit the room and return when done, and not to text while in class or you will be asked to leave. Despite this every class we have multiple violators and the majority when asked to leave are not embarrassed but become angry when asked to follow rules and be respectful of educators and classmates. I can't say it's any one age group since I've had 22 year olds to 70 year olds as the culprits. Sometimes I just have to shake my head at what passes for professionalism these days. This is just a vent, not looking for validation. Have a great day!

I am a parent and cannot understand people's need to be reached every single second. If my husband is home with my son, he darned well better know what to do in an emergency, otherwise, he's not much of a parent.

My son or husband can wait 30 minutes to get an answer to pretty much any question either of them has. If they can't, they should be calling 911 instead of me.

:yelclap:

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Well in defense of the people in OP's class, I've yet to take a computer class for work that requires more than about 10% of my attention. If I'm not doing something to occupy myself, I fall asleep and then miss the 10% and risk getting fired for sleeping on the clock. I usually pull up the internet during those though, a little less obvious than the phone.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
What about in nursing school when we haven't learned it before? ;)

Then instead of the teacher walking out the back door, she picks up each texting student as if she were showing them the Heimlich "abdominal thrust" Maneuver and throws them out the back door. ;) Or, perhaps when it's time to for them to get checked off on rescue breathing, chest compressions etc., it takes an hour or two longer than usual until it looks quite right.

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I understand needing to be available to your children, but does this also go for when you are at work in an area with a strict no cell phone policy? Just wondering.

The kids thing makes more sense than some of the other reasons I've heard, but I hate the people who say "well I have to keep it on me so my kids can reach me" and then proceed to play angry birds on the clock. Realy people? It must make things harder for people who really do just want to be available for their children.

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Wooh, I agree that I have never had a class that was rocket science, but these are complex enough to require attention. What bothers me is the lack of respect that these people show to the educators and their classmates-the texters, talkers, and Internet surfers are invariably the ones asking questions that were answered 15 minutes ago and who cause the next class to start late because they can't complete the required hands on competency in the allotted time because they weren't paying attention. Again it's the lack of manners and professionalism that concern me and that no one is embarrassed to be called out on bad behavior.

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
Im the PP who mentioned the non-domesticated spouse and thank you. It's not easy right? I'm right there with ya!

My daughter is 18 so when she was an infant we did not have cell phones yet. I thought I would lose my mind with worry when I left my VERY non-domesticated spouse home alone with the baby for the first time. This was the man I had to teach how to even hold her the day she was born because he held her out like a bowl of popcorn. Luckily I lived close enough to run home at lunch and check on them. Found a group of very non-domesticated young guys (his long time buddies) and of course him all sitting on the floor goo-gahing over this little baby that hubby had all dressed up like a little princess.

My best advice to all of you newer Mothers - put the phone down and let them figure out how to deal with things. They WILL figure it out, they will be better Fathers for figuring it out and your children will have the security of knowing they have 2 parents.

And my last $0.02...I'm just so dang glad I didn't have a cell phone growing up. I could hide out for hours at a time with no one knowing exactly where I was or having any way to reach me.

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Cell phones are my pet peeve. No one has any etiquette for appropriate use, nor apparently any common sense. Mine is powered off and in my handbag, in a desk drawer when I'm at work. I would never, ever, take or make a personal call or text during my work day, and I don't tolerate it from other people. Employees caught with cell phones during work time get points, enough points accumulate and they get fired. If patient's use their cell phone during the appointment, I get up and walk out, the visit is over. And no, you don't get your copay back. Our teenage son once made the mistake of texting at the table in a restaurant. We took his iPhone away and he now has a track phone that isn't text capable! It's unacceptable and akin to wearing a hat at the table, and I'd knock him on his tush if he dared do so, lol. Cell phones and public use of cell phones makes me truly irate.

Just had to bring this one up again. :yelclap:

My 11 year old asked for a phone recently. I said absolutely not. He said all his friends have them ... .time may change but kid's excuses don't. :icon_roll

Listening to a talk show today where a mom called in saying her 9 year old daughter accessed Media on her phone and asked for advice. The answer was, why does a 9 year old have a phone? And why with internet access? Take the phone away! Mom said "but all her friends have phones". sigh . . . . :cool:

Everyone is texting now - at work too. That's really frustrating to me.

In a classroom, you can hear the vibrating. As an instructor, as someone mentioned, it would be demoralizing to look out and see everyone on their phones, texting.

I'm with the folks who say turn it completely off while in class.

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Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

As an NP, my phone stays in my pocket at all times. I have it for the calculation of dosage, for my drug software app, in case another provider needs to reach me, for contact with whomever has my son that day, and most of all, to show pics of my son to patients who consider me family.

I will walk out if I go in and find them on the phone. I'll go on to my next patient, and see the other when they're off the phone. Point being, they GET seen.

I agree with what's been said before about some of these over-the-top responses. So extra. It's a phone. It's a fact of life. It's not going away. Deal.

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My daughter is 18 so when she was an infant we did not have cell phones yet. I thought I would lose my mind with worry when I left my VERY non-domesticated spouse home alone with the baby for the first time. This was the man I had to teach how to even hold her the day she was born because he held her out like a bowl of popcorn. Luckily I lived close enough to run home at lunch and check on them. Found a group of very non-domesticated young guys (his long time buddies) and of course him all sitting on the floor goo-gahing over this little baby that hubby had all dressed up like a little princess.

My best advice to all of you newer Mothers - put the phone down and let them figure out how to deal with things. They WILL figure it out, they will be better Fathers for figuring it out and your children will have the security of knowing they have 2 parents.

And my last $0.02...I'm just so dang glad I didn't have a cell phone growing up. I could hide out for hours at a time with no one knowing exactly where I was or having any way to reach me.

Really good advice about dads. Sometimes we moms complain our spouses don't help and then when they do, we criticize the hell out of them.

We have no internet access on our phones by the way and YES, I 'd love to be out of cell service sometimes. :up:

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
Unfortunately I don't live in a perfect world and circumstances arise. My husband isn't what you would call "domesticated" but I have no other alternative.

Nor do I live in a perfect world. My husband died when the kids were 6,9 and 12. They knew how to call the desk and ask for me, I did not carry the cell phone at work. And they never called to ask about cookies or going to the park, etc. When I had a moment between patients, I would call to say good night, but if I didn't have time they understood and didn't panic.

They are now all either in college or graduated, having survived my obviously horrible parenting aeb not being instantly in contact every single minute. We are close and continue to enjoy each other's company.

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As an NP, my phone stays in my pocket at all times. I have it for the calculation of dosage, for my drug software app, in case another provider needs to reach me, for contact with whomever has my son that day, and most of all, to show pics of my son to patients who consider me family.

I will walk out if I go in and find them on the phone. I'll go on to my next patient, and see the other when they're off the phone. Point being, they GET seen.

I agree with what's been said before about some of these over-the-top responses. So extra. It's a phone. It's a fact of life. It's not going away. Deal.

So funny . .. .I've never heard "so extra". And now I've seen it twice on one thread. :D

I think if it bothers the instructor so much maybe the folks who don't think it is a big deal might just be a bit more considerate and "deal" themselves. Cell phones aren't going away but folks could be nicer about it.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, ICU, ER.

I generally try to be polite and inoffensive. However, I resent having my time wasted, and when I'm forced to go to useless mandatory trainings that last hours upon hours (e.g. three hours of, "this is how you use a mouse"), which nursing/hospitals just LOVE to do... my iPhone comes out of my pocket and gets 90% of my attention.

It's either that or the sound of me constantly flipping the pages in the newspaper. Your pick.

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