Cell Phone Usage

[Princemercury]

General question:

In your ER, are your ER techs allowed to carry a cell phone? (Hospital, or personal?)

[NurseKittyAtlanta]

In the ER that I worked at, no one was *supposed* to carry personal cell phones (of course some people did anyway), and everyone (including the techs) had hospital-issued cordless phones that worked within the premises. Supposedly those did not cause interference with equipment the way that cell phones do.

[JRapha'sRN]

In my ER all staff members (MDs, Nurses and Techs) carry phones. These are hospital phones, not personal phones. I do know of some staff members who call home at the begining of the shift and let their family know what phone # they have for the shift in case of emergency. These phones are useful for getting ahold of people instead of searching and searching.

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

NO ONE is allowed to use a cell phone within our facility, even if not on duty. You may go outside the hospital during a break, of course. But walking down the hall, in uniform, talking on a phone, creates the wrong impression to guests. They do not know you are not on duty and assume you are letting a patient "suffer" while you carry on with your personal affairs. Many employees use text messaging of course, when they think no one is looking. Still against policy.

[OR2ER, BSN, RN]

in our emergency dept ..u'll see signs everywhere that u cannot use ur celfone,but there is one er md that carries his cp and use it while working..sigh!..o well..can't argue anymore.

there is a cordless phone that is provided for our mds.