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.
I carry my cell phone at work all the time. I always have it on vibrate, and do not make personal calls. My partner was seriously injured in a fire (he is a fire fighter) while I was at work. I believe I have the right to stay in touch with my family at work. If it wasn't for my cell phone, I never would have known......I work float and am hard to get a hold of
To the PP who said "it must be nice to bend the rules" I just want to say that just because we do not agree, does not mean that ALL people who have cell phones at work do so in direct violation of their work agreement. If my work said not to use them I wouldn't. If my work had a whole list of rules that were completely unnecessary and a great inconvenience to me, I would be generally unhappy (as opposed to making a statement against use of cell phones or whatever) and I would find another place of employment. Very few single issues are critical enough to warrant leaving a place of employment, but overall treatment of staff, which is a result of many minor things/attitudes, is a BIG reason why people love their jobs or leave them.
I work in Respiratory Therapy evenings and weekends, and I have, more than once, used my phone real quick during down time to check in at home (my husband has just taken on primary care of our kids after me doing 99% of it as a stay at home mom, until a couple of months ago...so I feel the need to keep in touch and make sure that its going ok..but I digress). The shift supervisor has seen me, and told me not to rush off the phone so fast, and that its nothing to worry about. I even had one of them apologize for interrupting me, and ask if everything was ok. They're not technically my boss as I report to the director, but still generally in charge when I'm there. I think thats great, and I really love where I work. I'm actually really sad that there are no nurses in RT just because the environment rocks so much. Granted, its not "just because I get to use my cell phone" but while they expect us to show up for our shift, functional and able to stay till the end, they're really incredible to work for and with as long as you do your part, and THAT my friends, is the mark of a good company... and a good department. I only pray that I find some place as good, when I graduate and begin working as a nurse.
I understand your anger but I do understand the rule also, please don't virtually kill me for saying that. I was an intern in an ICU at a major hospital and saw the nurses, not the aides texting all of the time. It grossed me out actually. I have strong feelings on this issue and I wish everyone was able to be responsible as it seems you would be but the majority of the nurses that I saw would check their phones often and text others about plans, parties and boys while watching vitals, getting meds and generally while they should be paying attention to their pts. I also found that the MDs and residents thought nothing of texting while on the floor. I bought a separate PDA (not a smart phone) just so that I wouldn't have issues. But it is totally understandable that people with kids and sickly dependents need to be reachable -I totally get it but I just think a lot of people think their social lives are more important than their pts lives. This is a deeper issue that just the phone it is an issue of people placing priories and values in the wrong place.
I am a very new nurse and I am struggling with this - I guess I will just do what I think is right and try to lead by example.
Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.
I remember taking my son to the dr. to get a Hep B vaccination...we walked in the room with the nurse and just as she was drawing up the med, we heard this loud, crazy music coming from her pocket !!!!
Completely freaked my son out, distracted me and her.....she answered it !!!!
so at least, please, if you have a phone and are working with pts, KEEP IT ON VIBRATE !!!!! That is what I do at work....only get emergency calls and they don't ring loud and annoy everyone around me !!!!
I should have said something to her, but didn't....
A lot of people at my job do it, although they aren't supposed to, and it doesn't seem to impact their performance. People who use them are very, very discrete about it (probably because they aren't supposed to carry them). The administration sort of knows but it's don't ask, don't tell.
Personally, I don't carry a cell because I don't want to. My husband can reach me in an emergency if he needs to by calling the unit and having me paged -- there or where I've floated. I only work two weekdays a week and one weekend day. Let my husband deal with calls from school about head lice (heh heh).
It's bad enough to be constantly electronically nagged (via pager and now Vocera) by patients, patient families, doctors, physician's assistants, nurse practitioners, fellow RNs, the nurse educator and supervisors. I get a beeper page or Vocera page at the very least 5 times an hour. On a busy day it's easily once every 5 minutes. I'd hate to have to deal with calls from family and friends on top of that!
If I have the few minutes to make a social or personal business call, I do it at the desk phone when it's convenient to me.
I work doing home visits over an area that spans several counties. We have agency-provided cell phones, but I can't always get a signal with the carrier. My personal phone is a different carrier, and one of the two usually works.
Also, if I'm waiting on a CB from a doc for orders, etc, I can use the other phone.
I don't get or make personal calls at work................Less virtue on my part than I work midnight to 0830, and my friends or family would kill me if I did. :wink2:
I carry mine, on vibrate. I have kids. If they get sick or hurt, I need to know it. I only check my messages when I'm on a break or at lunch. I am an adult, and know not to yak on company time.
I find it ironic that I'm not supposed to have my personal cell phone but am required to carry around a facility cell phone so that I'm always available. It's just as much of a distraction to patients when that stupid phone starts ringing in the rooms, at least my cell can be set to vibrate.
I refuse to be without mine. My toddler has nursemaids' elbow and has managed to dislocate it twice while I was away from home; once was while I was at work, another was while I was in class. Plus my older son has asthma which we are battling with again after years of it being under control. If I need to talk on it, I go into the med room so that visitors/patients do not see me using it but I am still accessible and on the unit.
I agree that there is some cell phone abuse, but it's the minority, and should rightfully be addressed with those who create the issue, not managed by an edict that comes from down on high that punishes everyone.
Cell phones aren't permitted at my job. We go through a metal detector, our belongings are packaged in clear bags that go through a scanner, and we have pat downs. No cell phones, period. No exceptions.
At first it was an adjustment but now I don't even notice. I do call my phone once a shift or so to check messages but my family knows how to reach me here.
I think it's asinine. I have two preschool aged kids at home- I'm not leaving my phone anywhere but in my pocket. That said- it would always be on silent and I would never use it around a resident/patient. My phone has my calculator, calendar etc. in it as well as alarms that I might need for personal work related reminders- so no- I'm not about to stop using it. We're professional adults, not school children. If people are using their time inappropriately by making personal calls, texting etc. on the clock- then deal with the situation as it arises on a personal individual level. MHO.
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.
Mine has multiple alarms. When it's too soon for a patient to have a requested pain med, I set the alarm......then I'm always on time with the med & no one gets forgotten. I've had several patients & families tell me I was the only nurse that ever kept a promise to return in '30 minutes.'
Cell phones aren't permitted at my job. We go through a metal detector, our belongings are packaged in clear bags that go through a scanner, and we have pat downs. No cell phones, period. No exceptions.
At first it was an adjustment but now I don't even notice. I do call my phone once a shift or so to check messages but my family knows how to reach me here.
I could understand that if it were an unusually high contagion risk floor- that would be a safety precaution- but I wouldn't choose to work somewhere that had that policy. That said- if it's agreed to up front at hire- then there's no excuse not to follow the rule. But if someone tried to tell me after the fact- I'd be looking elsewhere for a job.
flygirl43
153 Posts
I carry my cell phone at work all the time. I always have it on vibrate, and do not make personal calls. My partner was seriously injured in a fire (he is a fire fighter) while I was at work. I believe I have the right to stay in touch with my family at work. If it wasn't for my cell phone, I never would have known......I work float and am hard to get a hold of