Cell Phones in the OR

[poopsiebear]

How do you guys deal with pagers/cell phones in the OR? Our residents/fellows used to have pagers and it's in our unwritten policy manual to answer their pagers for them. Fine, I can deal with that. Recently, our hospital converted the pagers to cell phones instead. So instead of hearing the annoying beeping, the cell phones are going off constantly throughout the case. With the pagers, at least I can turn them off and have the option to answer the page when I have a minute. Now, with the cell phones, I have to stop what I am doing to answer their cells. And every time you answer the phone, the calling party is ALWAYS surprised that so and so is scrubbed. HELLO????? That's what surgeons do! Sorry .... I just have to vent.

[TracyB,RN, RN]

Oh, man, the pages I have been asked to return.......consults, golf dates, mommies calling their sons to remind them of lunch plans, wives calling to please pick up diapers or milk on the way home, even car dealers letting the docs know their plates are in for the new Caddy.... uuughghghg...

[CHATSDALE]

`I don't know what happen after i was put to sleep but when i was in the or prior to day-surgery it seemed like every one in the or had a cell phone...mostly personal calls..one i recall was a nurse saying when she would be available to work extra shifts..one guy was arguing with his girl friend about how she had treated him at the Christmas dinner the day before...there were at least 6 or 7 phones in use at the time lucklily i came out in one piece

[sunnyjohn]

Cell phones may not be hazardous, but all that ringing is a pain in the tookus...

Then again maybe the ringing may make me hazardous to the ringees health....lol