cell phone usage at work

mrdoc2005 · Jul 18, 2004

I would almost bet it is banned but not enforced. No, it is not an age thing. I am a 24- year- old male and I do have a CP but it mostly stays in the truck. Also, how about the people who take in to a restaurant for casual conversation.

zacsmimi · Jul 18, 2004

CPs are okay in public... but never should be used by someone who is serving someone else. Double for medical professionals!! I have had my cell on silent at work if I expect a call from home... I then check it after it vibrates and return the call from a private area. This is not a normal thing - just occasional. I wont allow the CNAs on the floor to carry theirs... they lose track of what they are supposed to be doing, they end up text messaging the entire shift. I agree -

its not acceptable to whip out a CP at work when your attention is to be on the patients and your work.

RN92 · Jul 18, 2004

You are sooo right. I have seen people with the earphone in-standing in the hall talking....it looks like they are talking to themselves. CRAZY. Where I worked, one nurse always had the little cell earphone in - when I was trying to give report, I couldnt tell if she was listening to me or the person on the line. Work (especially in our field) is no place for distractions, including cell phones. If you are sooo important that you have to be available 24/7 - then why are you nursing? Cell phones at work are dangerous and down right RUDE.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2004

We're in the ice age over here - cell phone usage isn't allowed anywhere in our hospital. Patients and their familes get very PO'd when we tell them to shut off their phones, let me tell you. Even I got pretty PO'd at a security guard once - I was walking out of the hospital down a very long corridor to the garage and was on my cell phone. We were no where NEAR a patient care area, we're talking hundreds of feet away from patient areas. I was ten feet from entering the garage and the guard made me shut off my phone! :angryfire

We are allowed to use the regular phones at work, but of course they don't like it that much. Unless you're on the phone for half your shift, no one will bother you too much. And since you have to stand there by the phone and can't walk aroudn with it, you really don't have a choice but to hang up if you want to get your work done!!!

Gator,SN · Jul 18, 2004

Because of the telemetry units we are not allowed to have cell phone on in the unit at all and we enforce this rule with families that are visiting too. They get a little mad until we explain that it could be their family member that suffers because of it. If any of my coworkers were on the phone while working my boss would hand them their a** pretty quick. I can't imagine getting away with such rude behavior while taking care of patients!!!! I get miffed when I'm getting groceries and the clerk is too busy talking to the person in the next line to pay attention to what she is doing. Doing it while taking out meds.......I can't imagine!

Trauma Columnist · Jul 18, 2004

I guess I'm the dinosaur here - what are people doing on the phone at work???? Come on - you're not getting paid to gab you're getting paid to WORK!!

MandyInMS · Jul 18, 2004

I guess I'm the dinosaur here - what are people doing on the phone at work???? Come on - you're not getting paid to gab you're getting paid to WORK!!

Guess I'm a dinosaur too trauma...ditto your response.

Roseyposey · Jul 18, 2004

I gotta chime in here. Three people's cell phones rang in class the other day during an exam, and the instructor said nothing about it. I was recently on vacation in Virginia, and my family visited the Tomb of the Unknowns...and guess what? Right in the middle of the changing of the guards, a cell phone rings..one of those obnoxious playing a song kinda rings. Do ya think the lady was embarrassed and turned the phone off? No way, she stood right there and chatted and laughed and carried on her conversation - must have been an emergency. :angryfire This cell phone craze is getting way out of hand.

NurseKratchet · Jul 18, 2004

not to mention dangerous study after study has shown that it can also affect an I-med by increasing the dosage hence no cell phones allowed...........I'd venture to guess if it was their child in the ER or on the floor and they got an overdose they would definitely rethink having their cell phones on at work...................and as others have said why are we using them at work. I have a cell phone which I keep off at the facility and when I go on break I go outside the facility and check my voicemails using them on the job is just plain wrong and if there is a true emergency I would suspect the caller would call the facility for you..................IMHO

KaroSnowQueen, RN · Jul 18, 2004

I keep my phone in my bag or in my locker, and check 2 or 3 times a day to see if I have any messages, have a sick hubby, elderly ill grandma, and annoying children who often "need" something. If needed I will call them back on the cell (only because it is long distance to call home, otherwise I would just call from the phone in the break room) in the locker room or break room, not in the hallway, not at the desk, not during report, NOT while talking to the UM, (that fries my brain!), that is just not right!!!!

All_Smiles_RN · Jul 18, 2004

I don't understand this one. Everyone is always saying how they have too much of a patient load and not enough time to give the best quality care. Using your cell phone at work is not only rude and unprofessional, but also negligent.

...Jennifer...