Cell phones

[SCRN1]

How many of you work in a hospital that requires you to use one of their cell phones in case another employee needs to reach you while away from the nurses' station? What's your opinion of them being used?

This is the 2nd hospital I've worked that has them. I can see where it saves time in tracking you down if another patient needs you. I also realize that it's probably the easiest and most confidential way to let a nurse know what someone needs without announcing it over an intercom.

On the other hand, I feel like they are an intrusion to patient care while you're in a room with a patient, trying to take care of their needs. Even if I'm in the middle of a sterile dressing change, there's no way I'm gonna answer that phone. Still, it's a distraction. Besides, they're bulky & we have enough stuff to carry around in our pockets. :rotfl:

I do think it's a good idea for the techs to use them since their tasks are different...besides the fact that some of ours sometimes have a habit of disappearing.

[KeniRN]

The hospital I used to work in used pagers that were alphanumeric. That way we still got the message but we didn't have to answer the ring if were were doing a procedure. :)

[rjflyn, ASN, RN]

First be careful they are not 'cell phones', they are cordless phones that have been certified to not interfer with medical equipment. I found it a whole lot easier than to be running to the phone ever time i got paged or lab had a critical value. Worked in a busy trauma center ER.

Yes they are heavy butI found it to be more nessessary than all the other junk I had in my pockets. Put it on vibrate and dont answer at bed side if its important they will call you back. We wore pagers as well so we couldnt get lost- hehehehe turned it off while on break though.

Rj:rolleyes:

[SmilingBluEyes]

we cannot use wireless phones where I work so it's not an issue.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

My hospital is thinking about going to a similar system.......while they're at it, why not just put collars around our necks or make us wear an electronic ankle bracelet so they know where we are at all times? :uhoh21:

[SCRN1]

My hospital is thinking about going to a similar system.......while they're at it, why not just put collars around our necks or make us wear an electronic ankle bracelet so they know where we are at all times? :uhoh21:

LOL, I wouldn't be surprised. One of our nurses told me there was something on their name badge at a hospital where she used to work that would show on some box or something at the nurses' station where they were located in the hospital.

[gypsyatheart]

Yes, we had these big, bulky cell/or whatever phones at a previous hospital I worked at. How annoying...ours had no option but on/off, loud annoying ring. We would get calls repeatedly! And they would hand the # out to the patients, so we were getting calls for nurses who had gone off shift, plus all the other wrong # calls. They were supposed to be more convenient for everyone and help the secretary by cutting down the amt of time she was on the phone! Yeah, right! Big joke! I used to "coveniently forget" mine at the nurses desk! LOL!

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

My hospital uses these phones. All the nurses are CNAs wear them. I think it's good as much time is saved when trying to find a nurse to tell them that Mr. fallsalot in room 2 is in a lot of pain, or that the lab called and Mrs. Bleeder's PTT is 160.

The problem I have is what another poster mentioned: The phones always ring when we're in a room with a patient. I've held a patient's hand as they were crying and the phone rings. For the patient, the phone signifies that they aren't the only important thing and that I, the nurse, is not totally focused on them which can be disheartening to the patient.

I don't know if there's an answer. Sometimes I leave the phone outside of the patient room depending on what I'm gonna be doing in the room. I can always check messages.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

All the employees on day shift wear a phone. The cellphones are very handy. They have some sort of text thing built into them so that you can receive a message and not be interrupted with a ringing phone during a procedure. The biggest pain is when you might go hours without a ring, then the ONE time you go to the bathroom, RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

As for the collars, man, that would cause a perspiration problem. And doesn't water conduct electricity? That shock would hurt. Of course, corporate would probably love the idea....

[nursemaa]

Our nurses carry wireless phones... t's convenient to be able to page a doc directly to you instead of either waiting around for him/her to call back or running to the station when they call. For the record, I would never answer the phone while in the bathroom - whoever it is can call back or tell me when I get out. Same goes for being in the middle of an IV start, dressing change, blood draw- some things you just can't stop in the middle of to take a call.

[nursebedlam]

we use wireless, saves alot time and no more pages on the intercom