Not that it would be used for anything but an emergency, but how do you feel about being told that you may not carry your cell phone while working?
Even if it's off, even if it's on vibrate. Even if it's part of your PDA that helps you get your job done.
I kinda feel like I'm back in high school. All the "grownups" -- docs, managers, administrators -- may keep their cell phones. But I, a lowly staff nurse (middle-aged, educated, professional, and presumably with decent morals and good judgment), cannot.
This thread really still amazes me, even after 12 pages.
We are not children. We should not be treated like children. In my past 13 years of working in other industries, I have NEVER been told I was "not allowed" to have my cell phone on me. It was also never seen as horrible to be in contact with my family during the day. I never took advantage of it, and also never saw anything wrong with a 5 min conversation with my husband during the day. Nobody else that I worked with ever had a problem doing it/me doing it either.
I don't think the rules against cell phone usage at work are about nurses and CNAs not being allowed to have contact with their families; the reason those rules are in place is because nurses and CNAs are often on their cell phones, in patient care areas, gossiping/catching up and arguing. I bet that most allnurses members have seen coworkers talking on them while on the floor, and it's clearly not an emergency call. I know that many of you have posted that you don't use them while giving care, passing meds, taking someone to the toilet, and that they are on vibrate.
However, if nurses and CNAs stuck to that, meaning not answering them while preparing meds, for instance, and not stopping their nursing duties to chat about stuff, then I don't have a problem with that. I bet that many managers, just like many of us here on this site, have seen nurses and CNAs using them while performing our duties, and noticed that the calls were not life-threatening ones. I have a cell on me at work, and I don't answer it while changing a resident, or feeding one. Based on the posts here, many nurses have seen others abusing the cell phone by talking on it while at work in patient areas, and the call were NOT emergencies. I don't have stats on what percentage of nurses/CNAs stop to chat on their cells while at work for non-emergency calls (not during breaks), but I bet it's pretty high, based on the many of the posts I have seen on this site. Yes, cells drive me crazy, but I think that the problem is more the people who are inconsiderate (don't get me started on cell use at the movies, in libraries, etc! ) while using them, not the phone itself.
My one problem with carrying a cell phone is that I notice people "linger" more. Around the med room, around the supply and linen rooms and what are they doing? Talking on their phones.
People now talk on the phone constantly all over the building, and I think it is unprofessional to be on a personal call in a patient care area.
Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
I keep my cell phone in my pocket, on vibrate...then when I have a chance I check it for any messages from home.....no one would be able to reach me calling the desk, I am rarely at the desk so this is my only contact with home....I would never "not bring it" even if the rules were made that we could not.....I would check it in the BR, PRN.
We are not living under Hitler's regime so I see no way they could stop me...
We have one rule regarding cell phones at work.... leave it in your locker or in your car. If I catch the staff with it on their person, it will be taken away until the end of the shift. We are at work to care for the residents and not to be taking care of family or personal issues. The cell can be used on your coffee break or lunch break ONLY! My own is shut off before i enter the building and placed in my purse in my office. It is not turned back on until I leave.
Well why won't you just leave it in the car. We are not in school we are grown individuals. With minds and integrity. So stop trying to play parents and mind your buissness if it is not effecting a patient or work leave it alone.
Specializes in SICU, NICU, Telephone Triage, Management.
I have my cellphone 24/7. So do my children. It's my quasi umbilical cord to them. On the rare occasion that I leave home without it even for a short errand I feel a sort of panic, a disconnect. And it makes me wonder, what did we do before the advent of the cell phone? How did we get along? How did we let our children out of our sight? My first cell phone came with 30 minutes per month, hard to imagine that way back then that seemed sufficient.
Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
We have one rule regarding cell phones at work.... leave it in your locker or in your car. If I catch the staff with it on their person, it will be taken away until the end of the shift. We are at work to care for the residents and not to be taking care of family or personal issues. The cell can be used on your coffee break or lunch break ONLY! My own is shut off before i enter the building and placed in my purse in my office. It is not turned back on until I leave.
my that is wfully harsh...do you search everyone????
We, as adults, are able to use our phone accordingly....we know when to check for messages and when not to....
Those that are on them in pts. room or at the desk, naturally, would be made aware that is not appropriate.
My phone is on and in my pocket at all times. It is on vibrate. The wards that i have worked on have had clerks who rarely pass messages on.
My daughter (who is 4) was admitted to the a+e (nothing life threatening)in the hospital where i was working recently-My partner rang my mobile and told me what was going on as he had rang the ward clerk and she had refused to try and find me to pass on the message ''as it wasnt urgent''
Ditto to Tweety. I'm a retired RN, getting old as dirt, so in our day there wasn't any such thing as having a personal cell phone at work (or even at all, for that matter), and I did manage to successfully work night shift and raise kids as a single mom. There's enough distraction on the job without having one other one like a cell phone and calls on it for even more distraction.
Also, wasn't it a rule until recently "no cell phones in hospitals"? So is this something fairly recent that they're now OK to use in a hospital? Just curious.
i work as a flight nurse and i feel i need to carry my cellphone at all times as i never know where in the country i might end up during my shift. when on a flight of course the phone is turned off, however, it also functions as a pda in which all of my protocols are carried as well as med calculations and other information i need to access quickly. my family knows that if they call and i am busy i will not answer the phone. most of the time i get a quick text message from them which eliminates the need to call them back at all.
as many others have said if we act like adults and use the phones responsibly these policies would not be necessary.
Specializes in Wellness Coach, ICU, PACU, OR, Mgmt.
Mine is always with me & I discretely get back to people at the most convenient time during the shift (lunch, slow period, break, or on the way home). Of course, I never answer it in the presence of patients or families & it remains on silent.
With my busy life of working fulltime, training for triathlon, & running a business as well as being a real human being, it's important that tasks like returning calls don't pile up.
My boss knows all about my cell phone being with me - she's a client & uses it to call me when she needs advice (even when I'm at work)!
Discretion, honesty & a great relationship with my boss have been the keys here.
I do know of many, though, who abuse either the use of their phones at work or (boss) the power to say, "no phones."
Too bad we don't all just play well in the sandbox!
Plagueis
514 Posts
I don't think the rules against cell phone usage at work are about nurses and CNAs not being allowed to have contact with their families; the reason those rules are in place is because nurses and CNAs are often on their cell phones, in patient care areas, gossiping/catching up and arguing. I bet that most allnurses members have seen coworkers talking on them while on the floor, and it's clearly not an emergency call. I know that many of you have posted that you don't use them while giving care, passing meds, taking someone to the toilet, and that they are on vibrate.
However, if nurses and CNAs stuck to that, meaning not answering them while preparing meds, for instance, and not stopping their nursing duties to chat about stuff, then I don't have a problem with that. I bet that many managers, just like many of us here on this site, have seen nurses and CNAs using them while performing our duties, and noticed that the calls were not life-threatening ones. I have a cell on me at work, and I don't answer it while changing a resident, or feeding one. Based on the posts here, many nurses have seen others abusing the cell phone by talking on it while at work in patient areas, and the call were NOT emergencies. I don't have stats on what percentage of nurses/CNAs stop to chat on their cells while at work for non-emergency calls (not during breaks), but I bet it's pretty high, based on the many of the posts I have seen on this site. Yes, cells drive me crazy, but I think that the problem is more the people who are inconsiderate (don't get me started on cell use at the movies, in libraries, etc!
) while using them, not the phone itself.