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.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, End of Life, Pain.
I'm sorry folks, I totally disagree with carrying a personal cell phone at work. All the 'what if I have an emergency' comments are really stretching things. A hospital is no place to have personal conversations. How did people handle emergencies in the past? Your place of business is just that - it's not the place for making or receiving personal phone calls. Cell phones are blatantly abused and don't belong at work.
Yes, Wino73 has an excellent point. If there truly was an emergency, your family would be able to get a hold of you. From my experience, most health care facilities have phones.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, End of Life, Pain.
If the policy states no phones I'm sure if you got caught with one, taking it from you until the end of your shift would be perfectly legal. If you come to work in purple scrubs and they're banned you can expect either to be sent home to change or to be made to wear OR scrubs. What's the difference? It seems to me that rules are rules.
People do carry cellphones to work for various reasons and it depends on individual institutions to put policies against carrying them to work as they can easily distract one from concentrating in work.
I do nurse the idea of carrying my cellphone to work simply because our institution does not encourage staff receiving phone calls through the official line. Considering that we have immediate family members who totally rely on us, when they happen to get into trouble n fail to get hold of us while at work, wouldn't it turn out on us as irresponsible??
This is a new technology which we have to try to put up with. Some nurses prefer to use their cell phones as watches since the nurses watches traditionally pinned on d uniform has got a very short lifespan!! I can count how many times I have purchased them since I started my nursing career wayback in early seventies!
I don't think removing your personal property is legal, regardless of the rules. I DO, however, think they can give you the choice of placing your property in the requested location, or leaving the premises.
I have just remembered an episode when I once got trapped in the toilet at the administration block after I had just filed my Leave application form!! I had to use my cell phone to call our unit to look for the maintenance man to come to my rescue!! I just wonder what could have happened if I had not carried my cellphone to work since it was almost time for administration block to close up bussiness for the day and yet I was on a late shift going on upto 22.30 hours!!
We should just have self discipline in handling ourselves when we decide to carry cellphones to work!! Those who cannot have self discipline should not attempt carrying them to work. Where the policy states clearly that cellphones r not allowed at work, they should b left on silent mode and kept in handbags or cars and missed calls answered during breaks or when off duty.
Red the first few posts, I have a different reason to carry mine.
I work LTC....It takes for ever (I will admit it)for some of the CNAs to answer the call bells. If they think I'm in a room, they would just ignore the bell. Sooo...when I'm down the end of a hall and I have a full code person go bad, or fall on me (yes..it has happend) yelling for help didn't help. My cell phone has been used to call the main desk and help (fingers crossed that someone will answer the phone cause they normally only think that a nurse can do that too)
Another reason I carry...our phone lines go out when it is really windy.
soooo...if they tell me I can't....um well...too bad.
Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
we did survive before cell phones....BUT....we survived before A/C, TV and many other things.....much more convenient with new inventions!!!
I know we worried more when could not keep contact with families, relatives in Hospital, husband on the road, etc.....Cell phones are here to stay....just use discreetly and keep for emergencies....to those that insist we get messages from desk....NO...not in my hospital...if on the rare occasion someone is at the desk...we don't get our messages...
I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be able to carry them as long as we were professional about it.
But, just like our use of internet.....people have screwed it up. Immaturity in the field and seeing people texting and socializing on their phones has screwed it up for all of us.
I never got in the habit of it. But, when I was expecting a call or something, you can bet I GOT CAUGHT with it while others are running around texting non-stop. Now with the videos and computer on the phones I see lots of them watching videos and using the internet on their phones.
Specializes in SICU, NICU, Telephone Triage, Management.
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."
I'm sorry but this sounds so high school to me. When are we going to treat each other as adults and professionals? An adult and professional knows the proper use of communication, both in methods and devices. Someone who abuses such should be addressed individually. We all shouldn't have to stay after school because one of us misbehaved.
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Scubadiver
24 Posts
I'm sorry folks, I totally disagree with carrying a personal cell phone at work. All the 'what if I have an emergency' comments are really stretching things. A hospital is no place to have personal conversations. How did people handle emergencies in the past? Your place of business is just that - it's not the place for making or receiving personal phone calls. Cell phones are blatantly abused and don't belong at work.