Cordless VS Hands-free who will win

[gwendolyn207]

I originally posted this poll under the tech area.

I wanted to know that if you had to personally answer the calls from your patients would you prefer to have a cordless phone or a hands-free phone?

I have notice that in several of my hospital clinicals the floor nurses are using cordless phones.

Thank you

[lpnflorida]

I have worked units which have the cordless phone, each nurse required to carry one. Nothing is more frustrating then when you are in an isolation room and the phone begins to ring and ring,of course it can not be answered at that time. I have learned to put that darn phone in the med room if I know I have to go into an isolation room. It also depends on how well the secretary screens the call which will be forwarded to you via the cordless. Some of the calls especially first thing in the morning are so many they tend to interfer with taking care of the patient.

I much prefer having a landphone , just because of the above. If I have to call a doctor and wait for his return call I give him my personal cell phone number if I fear having to leave the unit for any reason. Other than that they call the unit phone landline.

A case can be made for either phones really. That and a great secretary who uses descretion in what gets put through immediately to the cell phones.