cell phones at work

Nurses General Nursing

Published

How common is it for cell phones to be assigned to nurses in other hospitals? They drive me crazy! Throughout the shift is filled with constant interruptions. I understand how useful they are with calling docs and other departments. And I work on a tele floor so it buzzes us when something is off with someone's heart monitor--which is useful. The phones are also connected to call bells as well. But the amount of calls we get and interruptions amaze me. There are times where I have to stop and recalibrate my brain because I completely lost track of what I was about to do!

So much for minimizing interruptions for safer patient care...it seems like we can't work without it but at the same time can't work well with it. Sigh.

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This is common in other hospitals.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

In the hospitals I have worked in over the last 10 years we all have one. I found them useful and annoying. Useful so I didn't have to hunt down someone (as long as they had their phone.) I also felt annoyed by them as well. With the operator calling, other staff, docs returning pages, ER and bed management calling to either give report or ask for a bed, etc.

In the ICU I worked in until 2012 we were the only ICU unit to have cell phones because we travelled off the unit to CT and MRI multiple times a shift. Still annoying at times, but I felt like I could call the unit to check on my patient I had to leave because I had to take the other to Ct or MRI.

I have a love hate relationship with them.

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My last 2 floor positions required me to carry a cell phone for instant access to me for my patients, doctors, unit secretaries, lab and physical therapy ( and body else that had my number), to immediately stop what I was doing and fulfill THEIR need. I would also get buzzed for false tele alarms,etc.

Your facility has chosen to put you through this. As with anything in nursing.. you must prioritize.

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People's personal cell phones are a bigger problem than any work related cell phones.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Only the charge nurse has a cell phone, the rest of the nurses including the charge have Voceras.

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Only the charge nurse has a cell phone, the rest of the nurses including the charge have Voceras.

Yes, that. And even as charge I find it annoying, because I am both getting cell calls and vocera calls, sometimes at the same time. When I am in a patient's room and talking to a concerned parent, and both of these devices go off, I feel bad for them and embarrassed for myself. And yet I can't turn off the vocera because I need to know if there's an urgent situation.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

In my icu we do not have any work cellphones which I truly love. No interruptions. If I page a doctor I am by the phone if I'm not immediately connected with the critical care team.

On my old SDU we had cellphones and they were a pain. Getting repeated calls while in an isolation room / sterile procedure. Or still having to track down the nurses because they felt the best spot for their cellphone was at their workstation.. while they are elsewhere. Kind of defeats the purpose.

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I am required to carry one, but everyone knows that I don't answer it ...so they let it ring once, as a signal, and then hang up. I will stop by the station for news as soon as I'm done with my immediate task, but if they want a NOW answer, they need to give me a personal secretary.

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In my icu we do not have any work cellphones which I truly love. No interruptions. If I page a doctor I am by the phone if I'm not immediately connected with the critical care team.

On my old SDU we had cellphones and they were a pain. Getting repeated calls while in an isolation room / sterile procedure. Or still having to track down the nurses because they felt the best spot for their cellphone was at their workstation.. while they are elsewhere. Kind of defeats the purpose.

On the other hand, if I'm not charge and not working ICU that night, and trying to call a doctor, I often have to leave a callback number. And chances are, I can hang around waiting for that call, and the minute I leave the area to attend to a patient the phone at the nurse's station will ring and ring. So then doc and I are playing phone tag.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.

Yup...we carry iPhones. They are both a blessing and a curse. I hate that it is constantly going off in my pocket when I am trying to give a patient the attention they deserve. It is convenient to be able to put my own call back number though so docs can call me directly if I know I don't have time to stay around the desk and wait.

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so it is fairly common huh...I wonder what nursing was like before all this. It's just one more aspect that really leaves me drained a the end of day. I'm new too so it adds to my panicked feeling haha.

Personal cell phones? I don't have any issue with that because there's never any time to look at it!

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